A Fine Romance
by etherian
Summary: A chronicle of Severus & Hermione's budding romance. Begun as a collaboration until Chp. 40. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1 Morning

_**Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling.**_

_**Credit: This is the chronicle of Severus and Hermione's friendship and eventual love as related to two storytellers - co-writers etherian and Master Snape.**_

_**Summary: This takes place after Deathly Hallows, and ignores the Epilogue, and of course, the assumption that Nagini killed Severus Snape. Hermione did marry Ron but she is divorced at the beginning. Rated M for some language, and erotica later on.**_

_**Revisions are being made **__**(as of 3-28-12)**_ and chapters seamlessly replaced. Please feel free to read and review.

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___Knocking._

Had someone been knocking? No, he probably dreamed it. Nobody could possibly be knocking on ___his _door this early in the morning, especially on a Sunday. If somebody actually had the audacity to cause such a disturbance at ___his _home, they were probably incredibly obtuse or remarkably brave. Turning onto his stomach, he stuffed his arms under the heavy down pillows, and buried himself deeper under the velvet duvets, ready to drift off once more, when he heard the offensive sound again.

___It was definitely knocking._

Sighing deeply, he rolled onto his back and cracked open an eye. Seeing the soft glow peeking around the edges of the heavy drapes drawn over the windows in his bedroom, he knew it was barely past dawn.

___There it was again, that infernal knocking. There was no denying it this time._

Cursing under his breath, he threw back the bedclothes in irritation, and made his way to the loo, making sure to grab his robes along the way. Whoever it was could damn well wait until he was through with his morning abultions. If they were gone before he was done, all the better, especially for the poor imbecile who dared to disturb his slumber. Taking his time, and hoping the dunderhead would take the hint, he laboriously scrubbed his face and shaved by hand, purposely not using any magic to assist him. Once he had slowly tied his silk cravat and slid the last button on his frock coat into place, a good thirty minutes had passed but the intrusive knocking still persisted. Giving up, he made his way downstairs in a flurry of black robes, aggravation pulsating around him. It was too early to put up with the monotony of entertaining anyone who was stupid enough to pound on his door at such an ungodly hour.

___Then again, for Severus Snape, any time was too early for visitors_.

Grabbing the door, he flung it open ready to unsheathe his wrath on the unsuspecting clot, only to find a pair of surprised honey colored orbs staring back at his deep grey. One of her hands was frozen mid knock while the other carried a brown paper sack.

His charcoal grey eyes narrowed.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here at such an unseemly hour?" He seethed, making sure to punctuate each word with the aggravation he clearly felt.

"P-professor Snape, I-I didn't mean to disturb you," she stuttered, trying to gain back the confidence she had felt earlier when this seemed like a wonderful idea.

___So much for spur of the moment decisions._

"I assumed you would be up by now. You always seemed to be an early riser especially when you were teaching. I often saw you take early morning walks around this time," she said, offering him a weak smile.

"And you would know this how?" He asked crossing his arms and eyeing her suspiciously. What reason did she have to notice such a thing? Surely there was more to this?

Hermione sighed but did not break the former Professor's gaze.

"I had problems sleeping most nights, in fact I still do, so I would simply rise early and sit by my window to read or watch the sunrise. Many times I saw you leave the castle to go on what I assumed were walks. I wasn't spying Sir; it was just something I couldn't help but notice."

"You assume too many things Miss Granger, however that does not explain the nature of this obtrusive visit," he said disdainfully as his dark eyes left hers and flicked momentarily to the paper sack in her hands before moving back to meet her gaze once again. ___Was that a blush on her cheeks?_ No it was probably the cold. Suddenly realising she had been standing outside for the good part of an hour, he resigned himself to the inevitable and moved aside to let her in.

"If you have to explain yourself, you may as well do so inside as I will not be responsible for you catching your death. Now that I am finally free of teaching dunderheads, I would like to enjoy my retirement in peace and not have that interrupted by the untimely death of a former student freezing on my doorstep," he said sharply, as he slammed the door shut upon her entry, making the girl jump in fright. She spun around instantly to face him, her cheeks flushed with anger.

"I recall you telling me I could drop by anytime if I ever felt the need for conversation. As your floo is warded, and you ignore your owl post most of the time, there really is no way to get a hold of you! I am sorry; I did not think this was too early for you Professor! I was taking a walk this morning and happened upon a new French bakery not too far from my home in Hogsmead. I wandered in just as they were putting out a tray of freshly backed chocolate croissants. I recall you having a fondness for them at Hogwarts, so I thought I would pick up extra and share them with you while they were still warm. You're right however, I assume too much. You will have to forgive my impertinence," she said with haughtiness that he knew was masking her deep hurt. Gryffindors could never hide their true feelings well. She coldly thrust the paper sack into his hands, and made her way toward the door.

The dark wizard sighed knowing she was right, though he loathed admitting it. He ___had_ told her she could stop by anytime, especially when he knew she was trying to cope with personal problems. The loss of her son Hugo from Dragon Pox earlier in the year, coupled with a newly settled divorce from that idiot Weasley had left the woman a mere shell of the brilliant student he once knew.

When she had started writing to him almost a year ago to inquire about a potion she was researching, he did not expect the correspondence to last as long as it had, but gradually as the letters continued, a tentative friendship had begun. Soon she was coming over for tea weekly, and though he would contest it until given Veritaserum, he knew her visits were the highlight of his week.

"Tell me Miss Granger, do you make it routine to observe all your Professors eating and sleeping habits?" He scowled to mask his own curiosity. He could not fathom why she would take the time to care about such things. The very notion was insane.

He watched the young woman pause at the door, her hand resting on the vintage brass knob as if fighting an internal struggle. Finally with a resolute sigh, she turned her fallow eyes to meet his deepest grey.

_"____Only those I care about."_

The minutes seemed to stretch into an eternity as nobody dared to move. The only sound was the ticking of the antique clock on Severus' mantle. Somehow with that one statement, both knew a major shift had occurred in their relationship, though neither seemed ready to take the next step. Thankfully a gentle chime on the hour seemed to release the pair from their uncomfortable paralysis. As Hermione turned to leave, Severus cleared his throat and lowered his eyes to stare at a spot on the rug as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"As I recall Miss Granger, you have a fondness for French Roast coffee. I distinctly remember you ordering it several times at the lectures where we have encountered each other. As it so happens, I have an abundance of it thanks to Minerva's sagaciousness during the holidays. You are welcome to share it with me and test the theory if this new bakery is worth another visit," he said as he fingered the paper sack in his hand, his expression unreadable. "I suppose this would also be a good time to discuss the business proposition we had talked about last week, if you are still interested that is," the former Professor asked, softer than he had intended.

Hermione let her hand fall from the door knob, her heart pounding against her chest, as she turned to take a step closer to the Potions Master.

"I would be honored Professor, and yes, I am very much interested."

Lifting his eyes from the rug, he scanned his former pupil's face. She had indeed grown into a strong and lovely woman. How had he not noticed this before? He had tolerated her seemingly innocuous visits over the last year, but were they really that much of an annoyance, or was he in denial? They had often encountered each other at potions lectures and Ministry functions, so he did not see her visits as anything different. When had things changed?

___When she had trusted him enough to open up about her life._

___When her visits became the point of light in his week._

___When she told him she cared._

Clearing his throat, he came to a decision.

"I am no longer your Professor, nor do I even teach. The title you give me is ludicrous. I have a name, Miss Granger. I suggest you use it."

Hermione felt as if she had just run, jumped, and hurdled herself over a massive precipice.

"Only if you call me Hermione, for I am also no longer your pupil," she said taking another step closer to the older wizard before adding softly, "Severus." The smile on her lips showed how much it pleased her to be able to address him as such. Not many people were given such a rare invitation.

"Hermione."

The word escaped from his mouth before he even realised he had spoken out loud. A slight flush of embarrassment crept up his cheeks and he quickly turned toward the kitchen sniffing indignantly for her to follow, hoping she had not noticed.

Hermione followed him thinking how much she had always hated her name until the moment she heard it spoken with the voice that had haunted her dreams as well as her heart for more years than she dared to admit, even to herself.

This was going to be a morning to remember, and hopefully one of many to come.

_**Author: Master Severus Snape**_


	2. Chapter 2 The Invitation

**___Master Severus Snape_**

** ___Order Of Merlin Fist Class, ____Master of Potions_**

**___112 Spinner's End,_**

**___ Cokeworth_ ___Great Britain_**

___Master Snape,_

___It is with great honour that we, the International Wizarding Council of Potioneers and Alchemist would like to extend an invitation to speak at our annual symposium held this year in Vienna, Austria on 12th, May, 2012. We would like to offer you a two hour speaking engagement following an hour of questions and answers for those attending. The topics of course would be entirely your choice, but we would need a summary of your proposed subject matter no later than a week beforehand._

___As Great Britain's most acclaimed Potions Master, your immense knowledge would be a gift to many of your esteemed colleagues. Your advancements in the field of potions are legendary, Master Snape, and we can only hope that you will do us the honor of gracing us with your expertise and immense knowledge._ ___We look forward to hearing from you shortly._

___With greatest respect,_

**___Master Udoaver Loyalar_ **

**___International Wizarding Counsel of Potioneers and Alchemist, _****___Order of Merlin Third Class, Master of Potions_**

Severus set the letter down on his desk with a sigh. It had been over six months since he had lectured on the potions circuit, and the last experience had not been a good one. The problem itself was not with the actual lecture, but the routine question and answer portion that were required. Most of those attending usually wanted to inquire more about his ___spying days_ or his thoughts on the ___boy-who-lived_ rather than on his own theories for the varied uses of night shade or his thesis on improving the Wolfsbane Potion.

___It was frustrating and infuriating from a professional standpoint._

Sipping his tea, he leaned back and allowed the bite of the bitter liquid to warm him. The bright and spicy flavour burst on his tongue and was a delight for the senses. He had never had White Ayurvedic Chai Tea before, and would have to thank Hermione for bringing it during her last visit.

Setting his cup down, his thoughts wandered to the young lady who had become a prominent visitor to Spinner's End over the last year. At first he had merely tolerated her presence, but over time she had proven to him that she was far more than the ___know-it-all _irritant she had been in her former school days. He found her company more than tolerable as of late, and was secretly delighted he had found someone he could actually hold a conversation with that was of a like mind.

___Though he would never actually tell her that himself._

Absently, he ran a hand through his long dark locks before coming up with a solution. Perhaps going to Vienna would not be so such an abhorrent experience if he could convince Hermione to accompany him. If they were going to set up a business together, it would only benefit her to meet the best innovators in their field as well as explore the latest theories in potions and alchemy. She could also assist him and keep notes on the various lecture circuits they would be attending.

___It had absolutely nothing to do with her company._

Convincing himself that this was purely for academic and business purposes, he quickly penned a letter to the young lady before summoning his owl Argyros. The silvery owl hopped from its perch by the window and landed on the Potions Master's arm. He nipped affectionately on Severus' fingertips looking for a treat. Severus opened a drawer and pulled out a tin of homemade honeyed seed cakes. Carefully, he plucked out two small cakes and held them out to the silvery owl who happily bounded upon them.

Severus gently stroked the silky feathers muttering the usual,"infernal chicken," but there was no malice in his voice. Argyros had been a gift from Lucius after his retirement two years ago, and the two had become quite close in the interim. Until Hermione had made her presence more dominant in his household, and aside from the occasional visits from Lucius, Draco or Harry, Argyros had been his only companion. The silver owl seemed to prefer the solitude of Spinner's End, and didn't make it a habit to fly off unless sent by his master to send correspondence, and that wasn't very often.

___At least until recently._

"You know where to go. See that she gets this and ___do not_ leave without a response. If you return without one, I shall have you for dinner," Severus huffed as he gently scratched the owl's head. Argyros hooted in response, and then flew out the window to deliver his correspondence.

Realising there was no point in answering the council's letter until he heard a response from the young woman; he left the study and headed for his lab.

Britain's most ___acclaimed_ Potions Master was behind on his brewing, and no amount of distinguished awards or titles would get Poppy Pomfery off his back if he dallied any further.

___He would definitely need more of that White Ayurvedic Chai Tea before the night was through._

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___**Author: Master Snape**_


	3. Chapter 3 Diagon Alley

Severus strode down Diagon Alley, a formidable figure in a sweep of black robes. The hood of his thick wool cloak was pulled up shadowing his face so all that was left peeking out were a few wisps of dark hair and his prominent nose.

The wizarding population parted like the red sea as he made his way to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, a hamper clutched in his left hand. Some potions ingredients simply could not be shrunk for carrying or exposed to magical means as they would lose their natural properties, hence the simple non-magical bamboo hamper.

Opening the heavy oak and brass door, Severus made his way through the maze of gleaming glass phials, dried herbs and assorted jars of pickled oddities to the very back of the shop where a short and rather portly man sat behind a large wooden counter, deeply engrossed in a book.

Severus carefully lowered his hood before clearing his throat, and setting his basket on the age worn counter. Amusement flickered across his dark grey eyes, betraying the usual scowl on his lips.

Arsenius Jigger peered over his book, a wide smile suddenly spreading across his face when he saw his former apprentice regarding him with his usual trademark frown. Years of experience had taught the older Potions Master to always read past Severus' often dour expressions.

___He knew better_

"Severus! Good to see you! I have your order ready, though I thought you were going to come by on Friday," he said, setting his book aside. He stood up and clasped the younger Potions Master on the shoulder fondly.

Normally Severus would have flinched from the physical contact, but he knew that his former teacher regarded him as a son in many ways. He had been there for Severus in his darkest hours and had never doubted his true loyalties even when he had been a spy for both sides. Severus could not count anyone else who could say that about him. Even Minerva and Hermione had doubted him toward the end of the war, though he couldn't really blame them, especially after seemingly having killed the Headmaster. Yet Arsenius had sheltered Severus many times after that horrific incident, especially when he needed a respite from the Dark Lord or his deplorable duties as Headmaster, if even for a few hours in order to regain his own sanity. Arsenius would welcome him, offer tea and ask no questions, for which Severus had been grateful. After the war ended, and Severus had been cleared of all charges, he later returned to his former teacher to inquire about why he had never questioned his loyalties during those trying times, when all others had.

"Because," Arsenius had said while looking straight into his former pupil's deep grey eyes in the same way Albus did when seeming to stare straight into his very soul, "For a man who claims not to care, you certainly put a lot of effort into doing the opposite my son. Many times, people see only what they want to see Severus, because it is easier to accept face value than to delve deeper to see past the walls constructed before our eyes. Your façade may have fooled others, but it never fooled me. I know why the walls were there, and I accepted it. My only goal was to simply keep you sane and alive until this madness passed. I may not have known everything Severus, but despite what you may think, I believed in you, and still do. That will never change." After that, Arsenius had gone to make tea, and Severus had sat there in stunned silence.

___They never spoke about it again, but Severus had never forgotten his teacher's loyalty or faith in him._

Severus watched the older man rummage behind the counter in exasperation searching for his order among the many others that were lined up. Arsenius Jigger was many things, but orderly was not one of them. The familiarity almost made Severus smile.

___Some things never changed._

"I am meeting someone for lunch regarding the business venture I had mentioned previously, and since I was in the vicinity, I figured it would do just as well to pick the order up in advance. If this is inconvenient, I can return on Friday, Arsenius."

"No, not at all Severus! As I said, I have it ready; it is simply a matter of finding it. Ah, never mind, here it is!" He triumphantly held up a rectangular wooden tray that held several glass phials filled with various smoky and iridescent substances as well as different dried plants and fungi all tied together in bunches with magic free twine.

Severus nodded approvingly while removing his shrunken potions journal and quill from his frock coat pocket. After enlarging them, he opened it and proceeded to check off items before placing them securely in his bamboo hamper.

"So," Arsenius intoned gently as he leaned against the counter and watched his former apprentice take inventory of his order. "Have you finally settled on a decision regarding opening a business? Normally I wouldn't welcome the competition, but you are an exception my friend. You deserve this." Arsenius meant it too. If he ever wanted anyone to succeed in their life, it was Severus Snape who had more than earned the right to finally take the reins of his own future.

Severus snorted as he checked off two jars of Bicorn Horn and slipped them into the hamper. He then picked up a round jar of oil from the rare Indian herb Begonia Tessaricarpa. The medicinal herb was very difficult to cultivate which made it extremely rare. He swirled the glowing green oil in appreciation before tucking it securely away.

"I would hardly be competition Arsenius as we will be in two entirely different locations, and also I plan on specializing in my own brews rather than ingredients, so actually your business would more than likely profit from my gain."

Arsenius tapped his fingers absently against the counter as he regarded what he had just learned. The prospects sounded very interesting.

"In that case, I would be willing to sell to you wholesale and perhaps even invest in your effort. I more than trust your brewing abilities Severus considering who taught you," he said giving the younger man a knowing wink.

Severus arched an eyebrow at the older Potions Master in jest.

"Trying to take credit for my work already I see," he said with a mock sneer as he crossed off the last item on his list and reshrunk his journal and quill before repocketing them. "Your offer is quite generous Arsenius. I will talk it over with my business partner and perhaps we can set up a time to meet and discuss this further. Her schedule is not that busy now that she has resigned from her job at the Ministry. We should be able to set something up in the next few weeks I believe."

Arsenius quirked an eyebrow in surprise, clear interest on his face at the mention of the word ___she._

"And exactly who is your business partner Severus?"

A slight pause hung between the two men before Severus answered somewhat stiffly.

"Hermione Granger."

Arsenius' mouth hung slightly open. Severus had spoken of this particular woman over the years, and it was usually with great irritation.

Severus sighed. He was use to this kind of reaction whenever mentioning his interactions with one of the blessed golden trio.

"I do not know why you are so surprised Arsenius. You know her skills in brewing as well as her expansive knowledge are exceptional. When she came to me earlier this year bored out of her mind at her Ministry job, it was a tenable decision. She was looking for something more challenging that would utilize the skills she had learned in school and I was in need of a partner that was willing to handle the business side of things thus giving me the chance to concentrate on my own research and brewing. It was a logical choice. Her business perspective is quite good."

Arsenius held up both hand in defence.

"Severus, please do not get so defensive! I was not criticizing you, my boy, I was just surprised because of how often you use to come in here and complain about Miss Granger being – what was it you use to call her?' He asked, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"An insufferable ___know-it-all_, which she was when she was my student, however, she has changed much since the end of the war. I did not realize just how much until recently," he trailed off and lowered his eyes as he remembered the painful stories she had shared with him over the last year. One of the worst had been the incident about obliviating her parents in order to hide them during the war, only to find out later that their memories were irreparably damaged. It was guilt, no matter how good her intentions had been, that she had to live with for the rest of her life.

___He knew only too well what it was like to live with unbearable guilt and how much it changed a person._

Arsenius eyed Severus intently for a minute or so before speaking quietly.

"War changes all people my son. There are never any clear winners in the end. What matters most is how we pick up our lives afterwards. I would be much honoured to meet with Miss Granger. I am sure we can work something out that will be a benefit to all of us. I have a feeling Severus, that this is going to be the start of something good."

"Perhaps," Severus replied noncommittally. He saw no point in being hopeful about a future that was still so uncertain. He had lived with misery and hopelessness for most of his life; so he rarely put stock in anything until he saw results first-hand.

Arsenius sighed knowing it was pointless to argue with the younger man. Only time would show him that life was worth living, and he hoped this Miss Granger would help him accomplish that. Pulling out a large leather bound ledger from under the counter, he opened it to find Severus' name, before summoning ink and quill and glancing up at the younger Potions Master.

"Tab or gold?"

"Gold. Also, I will be adding Miss Granger's name to my account so she may purchase things for me as needed. As much as I enjoy our meetings Arsenius, I detest the attention my presence draws every time I have to come out for the ingredients that cannot be owl ordered."

"I completely understand," he said with a deep frown as he added her name to the ledger. He knew the negative attention Severus faced any time he went somewhere publicly. It made him furious beyond words."I hope one day, that will change. One hundred sixty seven galleons."

Severus pulled out a small leather satchel and counted out the correct amount of gold before tucking it back into his robes with a suppressed sigh. His business venture needed to work, or he would be completely broke in less than a year. He was investing his whole life into this. A teacher's pension only went so far.

As Arsenius was putting away the gold, the heavy front door opened and the sound of two ladies laughing and chatting carried to the back of the shop. Severus immediately pulled his thick hood back up, a habit of a lifetime kicking in. Arsenius noticed Severus' reaction and shook his head. The bigotry his former pupil had to live with angered him to no end.

"I should be going Arsenius. I have wasted enough time ___and_ gold here as it is, and I have a business luncheon to keep. I will owl you later in the week about a possible time the three of us can meet to discuss your offer. More than likely it will be toward the end of the month as I am lecturing at a potions symposium in May."

"Vienna?"

"Indeed."

"Will Miss Granger be accompanying you?" He asked curiously.

Severus narrowed his dark grey eyes at his former teacher.

"As an assistant," he finally drawled. "Why do you ask?"

"I was going to ask you and Miss Granger to join me for dinner after your lecture. I think it would be the perfect time to talk don't you agree? I am surprised at you Severus thinking I would miss the biggest potions gathering of the year," Arsenius said with a good natured chuckle.

Severus was about to retort on this when he heard the whispering behind him.

_"____Hey, isn't that….Snape."_

_"____Yes, I think it is. They say he still has the dark mark you know."_

_"____Why they let him and Malfoy go free is beyond me. They probably bought their way out."_

Severus' lips tightened into a thin line of anger, as he nodded at his friend and mentor.

"Until Vienna then," he said in a tight voice.

Grabbing his hamper, he turned sharply on his heels making his robes snap behind him in a fury. The two women, who were now near the counter, gave him a wide berth in surprise as he angrily stalked toward the front of the shop. Pulling the heavy door open, he slammed it with so much forced it not only made the women jump in fright, but also caused several glass phials to fall and shatter.

"I will be adding those broken phials of Dragon Blood to your tab Madam O'Rourke," Arsenius said coldly as he stared at the mother and daughter in front of him, indignation etched into his watery blue eyes.

"Whatever for? My daughter nor I had anything to do with the breakage of those phials! It was that Death Eater's uncontrolled anger that caused the phials to fall in the first place! Why not add it to ___his _tab?" The older of the two spat as she turned to Arsenius with clear distaste written across her face.

The older Potions Master narrowed his blue eyes at the pair trying to keep his seething fury under control.

"First, Severus Snape is ___not_ a Death Eater. That man is one of the bravest human beings I have ever met, and you and your daughter should be kissing the hem of his robes for what he did for you during the war. You stand here free today because of the many sacrifices he made to ensure that Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. Second, the reason he slammed the door was because of your caustic and vile remarks madam. I would have done the same thing. Third, forget about the charges. I will gladly take the loss, just leave and do not come back. I do not wish to do business with bigots like you."

"How dare you! You have no right to," Madam O'Rourke spat, her face almost purple with rage.

"Mum, please let's just go," her daughter said, casting a nervous glance from her mother to Arsenius. She tugged at her arm beckoning her toward the door.

"Absolutely not Prudence! We have every right to shop here, much more than that Death Eater," the older woman said haughtily eyeing Arsenius with her cold glare as if daring him to say otherwise.

Arsenius pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at the pair knowing full well he would never use it.

___But they didn't need to know that._

"Madam, listen to your daughter. My shop is closed, at least to you. Get out before I summon an Auror." His tone was deadly and brook no room for argument.

The older matron grabbed her crying daughter by the wrist and dragged her outside, slamming the door just as hard and causing another two phials of Dragon Blood to crash to the ground.

Arsenius sighed and tucked his wand away before going to clean up the mess by hand. Any magic usage could render all the potions ingredients around him useless.

Thinking about it, perhaps Miss Granger picking up Severus' ingredients would be a better option after all. While he enjoyed seeing his former apprentice, he detested what Severus had to live with every time he went out in public. Was it any wonder why the man was so reclusive? Would he never get to live in peace at any point in his life?

As he finished mopping up the Dragon Blood, he suddenly remembered the light that had briefly flashed in his Severus' eyes when he spoke of Miss Granger. He had only seen that one other time in the boy's life, and that was when he had come in with Lily Evans in his youth. Perhaps there was more to Hermione Granger than met the eye. He would have to observe them carefully while in Vienna.

Arsenius sighed tiredly as he walked to the front of his shop and flipped the sign to close. It had been a long day, and he was more than ready to retire for the evening. Besides, he wanted to think more on what he had learned about his former pupil today.

Smiling to himself, he then went to the back of his shop to retrieve his book, and make a well deserved tea.

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_**Author: Master Snape**_


	4. Chapter 4 Rose

"Rose!" Hermione, half distracted, picked up the bookbag and small cloak by the door, and straightened an unmoving painting on the wall.

"Rose! We have to get…" Hermione glanced up from the list held between her fingers. She looked about the modest living room decorated and furnished with hand-me-downs from countless Weasleys, and did not see the one Weasley she expected to see. Shoving bookbag, cloak, her own cloak onto a chair, she moved quickly through the living room and up the narrow set of stairs that led to the upper portion of the house. It simply contained three rooms. One that had been a playroom for her daughter, one that belonged to seven year old Rose Weasley, and the master bedroom. As Hermione passed it she felt the sting of a repelling ward. It had been a year since she had stepped foot in that room. The old playroom was where Hermione slept, now. Shaking her head, and ignoring the master bedroom, she made her way to Rose's door.

"Rosie?" Hermione knocked softly on the closed door. "May I come in?" When there was no answer Hermione turned the doorknob (it had been warded against being locked in pique by its owner) and she pushed open the door.

The small bedroom had been a mother-daughter project when Rose had turned seven years old and felt it was time to get rid of all the fluffy toys, the pink festooned bed, and cheery cavorting bunny wallpaper. The result had been one more thing to annoy Ron, but Hermione liked her daughter's taste. It was clean in subtle cream and caramel, soft greens that evoked new growth, and a gentle, almost water-like undertone of blue. The once small window had been painstakingly enlarged by Hermione, who had researched Home Improvement Expansion Spells for weeks before attempting the open bay window with its window seat and luxuriant cushions. The bed did not dominate the bedroom, but occupied a corner with a small bookshelf that held some books, and most of Rose's collection of "fascinating things": shells, bottles of sand from various places, beach glass, polished and un-polished stone, and tin boxes of every size and shape.

What dominated the bedroom was a large easel, a desk purely for drawing, and a cabinet that held a treasure trove of art supplies. Rose was not quite the bookworm her mother was, but Hermione encouraged her daughter's love of art. Ron did not.

Ron had wanted a son; someone to love Quidditch as much as he did. That beloved son, Hugo, had died a year ago when everything had shattered. At three years of age a particularly virulent strain of Dragon Pox had arrived like a thief in the night. Ron was in Canada with his team so it had just been Hermione and Rose at home. Both were asleep when the disease had struck without warning and stole the boy's breath. Hugo was gone before either parent knew of his illness, and subsequent distress. And Ron had blamed Hermione.

There was a great deal that Ron blamed Hermione for, including his numerous affairs, but believing that she had been a neglectful mother at fault for the death of her baby had been one blame too many. It was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as their farce of a marriage was concerned. In 2011, Ron had moved out after their divorce, taking up with one of his many girlfriends in Switzerland.

And, mused Hermione, it had been the catalyst for one of her most impulsive ideas ever; leaving the Ministry and going into business with her old teacher from Hogwarts, Severus Snape.

With a slight shiver, Hermione returned to the present to confront her daughter who was curled up, with a drawing pad, on her window seat.

"Rose, our meeting with Professor Snape is in an hour," she said with slight impatience to her tone of voice. "We're going to be late."

"Do I have to meet him? Maybe I could go to Grandma Molly's?" Rose was a pretty, strawberry blonde who had inherited her mother's curls. The curls were not wild, like Hermione's, but smoothed by the genes inherited from her father. A brush of faint freckles dusted the bridge of her nose, and her cheeks, and China blue eyes enhanced the rosy peach of her skin. Rose was dressed in a pretty blue frock, white stockings, black, highly polished Mary Janes, and a matching hat to protect her skin from the sun. The hat was beside her on the window seat.

Hermione took a calming breath then sat opposite her daughter. "You have to meet the professor, sweetheart. I have so much planned for us, but the professor needs to know about you." She sighed, again. There would be a lot to tell Severus. She was sure he knew something about Ron, and possibly he might have known about Hugo. Obituaries were published in the Daily Prophet just like they were in Muggle newspapers. Rose, however… Hermione did not know if he was aware of Rose. If their tentative partnership was to have any hope, he needed to know that she had a daughter.

"Daddy says he's evil," Rose's voice was so soft, and scared, that Hermione almost had not heard.

"Evil?" blurted Hermione. Anger flashed across her features, at Ron and his insulting mouth. When she saw that Rose was cringing from her mother's anger, it fled. Hermione held out her arms. Rose dropped the drawing pad, and scuttled quickly into her mother's arms. With a kiss to her child's forehead, she spoke softly, "Professor Snape is not at all evil, dear one. Without him Harry could't have destroyed the true evil…"

"Voldemort?" asked Rose, although she knew the answer.

"Your daddy just never liked Professor Snape. And, he can be short of temper, but I can promise you that he won't be mean to you." And you'd better not, Hermione chided the wizard in her thoughts. She had nothing but the greatest regard for Severus Snape, but her daughter was more important than the world. If Severus accepted their partnership, he would accept her daughter, too.

"Would he like me if I gave him a drawing," asked Rose shyly.

Hermione sat Rose up, grabbed the hat, and put it on Rose's head. She tweaked a few curls covering one of her daughter's blue eyes, and smiled. "I think he would, Dear One. If you get into your cloak, and scarf, can you draw something very quickly before we have to leave?"

Rose jumped up, and grinned. "I can, Mummy!"

"Down the stairs, then. Hurry!" With pride, and also with the joy her child evinced as she raced around the room for a pencil, and then her small drawing tablet, Hermione soon followed her daughter down the stairs.

Hermione and Rose sat at a table in a quaint tearoom in Muggle London. While Hermione sipped at her tea, and kept an eye out for the arrival of Severus Snape, Rose was busy with her drawing tablet and putting the finishing touches on a drawing for the professor.

"Babysitting, Miss Granger?" asked a familiar, silken voice.

Hermione glanced up to see Severus standing behind her daughter. Rose spun around at the greeting, and let out a tiny gasp as she craned her neck back to look at their visitor.

Hermione swallowed, "Severus, I'd like you to meet Rose…" she paused and clenched her hands together just under the table's edge. "My daughter, Rose Weasley."

Rose, unaware of the tension between the two adults, scooted out of her seat, tore the drawing she'd been working on from the tablet, and very bravely offered it to the tall man. "I wanted you to like me, Professor Snape, so Mum said I ought to draw you something. Do you like it?"

Slowly taking the drawing from the child, Severus looked down upon the piece of paper. Sketched with a black pencil was a very good drawing of a wizard brewing a potion. He would never have expected such a fine drawing from a child. He lifted his head to look carefully at Hermione. However, if this girl were her daughter…?

_**Author: etherian**_


	5. Chapter 5 She Has a Daughter

Severus' deep grey eyes roamed over the drawing in his hand before flicking to Hermione and finally coming to rest on the young girl in front of him.

_ Her daughter._

_ Hermione had a daughter and she had **never **told him._

Narrowing his eyes at the glaringly obvious Weasley looking girl, he was impressed to see she did not flinch from his stern gaze even though he could feel the fear radiating from her_. Stories from her father no doubt, _Severus thought resentfully. He knew Hermione well enough to know she would never speak ill of him in front of anyone let alone her own child. His distaste for his business partner's ex-husband rose in his chest like bile.

_ "I wanted you to like me, Professor Snape, so Mum said I ought to draw you something. Do you like it?"_

Severus' thoughts snapped back to attention when the child spoke. He raised an eyebrow at the girl, but did not break her gaze.

"I believe it would serve you well in the future Miss Weasley if you simply used _yourself _rather than relying on tactics to make people _like you, _as that never bodes well in my book, however your drawing is rather detail oriented especially for someone of your age. It is…..most impressive. Thank you." The last part came out a little rougher than he had intended, but then again he had not been expecting Hermione to show up with a child, let alone one bearing a gift. Nobody other than his former colleagues ever gave him gifts, and those were sent only out of obligation during the holidays. He knew better than to believe anyone would _willingly_ give him something to seek his favor, yet the child was doing so.

The fact that it was _her_ daughter who gave it to him, made the situation even more discomfiting. If Hermione wanted to continue this partnership, she was going to have to give him answers. He had trusted her thus far, but the same was not given in return, and it hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

He carefully shrunk the drawing as not to smudge it and tucked it into his robes before sitting down at the small table. His potions hamper was neatly tucked under his chair out of the way.

Rose sat between the two glancing from one to the other and trying her best not to fidget in the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air. Finally, not knowing what else to do, she reached for her drawing tablet to start another picture. Art was her escape, and she relished in it.

_It was also a good way to watch them without either noticing._

Severus fingered his crystal cut goblet of water as his charcoal grey eyes observed Hermione pouring out his tea. Most people would not have noticed the slight tremble in her usually deft fingers, but he did. He had watched her chop and slice enough potions ingredients with exact precision as a student, to know when her hands were trembling.

_ She was nervous, and by the judge of it, extremely so._

"Well," he intoned silkily, as he reached to take the fine Wedgewood cup from her hands. "Are there any more surprises I should be aware of before we continue this delightful conversation _Miss __Granger_?" He knew he had not used her formal name in some time, but Merlin help him, _he was hurt, and he wanted her to know it._

_Well, at least he seems to like… or maybe that is, to approve of Rose._ Hermione smiled quickly at the crown of her child's head now studiously bent over her drawing tablet. Rose's curls tickled her cheeks that were plump with a child's health, and contentment.

_Sooo…_ Hermione faced Severus. _Wait, did he address me as Miss Granger?_ Still nervous she sipped at her tea too quickly and burnt her upper lip. Her gasp of annoyance was a soft one as her tongue darted out to soothe the small burn. Grasping the goblet of water she drank greedily then put it down.

"Rose, mummy needs to speak to Professor Snape in private for a little bit. Madame Pillot set up a chair and table in the corner for you near the finches. Would you mind sitting there for a bit?" Hermione stretched out a hand to lightly caress one pale red curl from the little girl's forehead.

"Can I…" Hermione frowned in silent correction, and Rose smiled. "May I have a pastry, mummy?"

Hermione smiled. "You may."

"Brilliant!" Rose slipped off her chair and gave her mother a quick hug; she then turned to the somewhat foreboding man. He liked her drawing and even tucked it into his robes, so he was not as scary as she had worried about. "Please be nice, Professor Snape. My mummy doesn't like anyone shouting at her anymore." Severus nodded slightly, but cast the barest of questioning glances at Hermione. Rose snatched her drawing tablet, and started to turn away from the table when she stopped, and addressed Severus again.

"Professor Snape?"

"Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"My drawings _are_ me." Without waiting for any reaction, Rose darted over to the child size table and chair that waited for her by the tall, ornate cage of brightly polished brass, that held a dozen noisy finches of various colours.

"I'm sorry, Severus… er, Sir?" Hermione took a sip of her cooler tea as a saving grace for her tongue tripping over what to call her ex-professor.

_Why did he call me Miss Granger? You're in trouble, silly thing, for bringing your daughter to this meeting, for not telling him sooner!_

Drawing in a breath to settle her nerves, Hermione put down the pretty teacup. "Severus, I know that Rosie is a surprise, but I had hoped she wouldn't be a terrible one. She is a good girl, and if you don't mind I'd like to bring her to Vienna." Briefly she closed her eyes, waiting for the chastising to begin. "Ron will not take care of her, and as much as Molly loves her granddaughter she overindulges Rose, with sweets. The last time I left Rose with Molly I thought a polliwog had taken my child's place."

Hermione chuckled softly. Severus was about to speak, but Hermione held up her hand, and he noted she still was shaking; ever so slightly.

"Ron has… Rose doesn't know, but Ron doesn't believe she is his." Tears threatened, and her throat tightened, not with sorrow, but with anger restrained. "I received… this morning…" she paused and began to rummage in the old school bookbag. Giving it a cross look she wondered to herself why she had not the sense to bring her beaded bag instead. Putting that thought out of her mind she withdrew a formal looking piece of parchment, and shoved it across the table.

"That thick-headed ex-husband of mine," she spat with sudden viciousness, "severed all parental rights to Rose this morning!"

Schooling his face into its usual mask of indifference, he reached across the table and picked up the folded parchment. His lips tightened into a thin grimace as he scanned the contents with distaste.

Wisps of memory wrapped around him like black tentacles as he recalled his own father often accusing his mother of infidelity, insisting he could not have possibly fathered a child that was such a freak to society. His father had never accepted his magic and loathed the very nature of his existence, never failing to remind him on a daily basis what a mistake of nature he was.

He knew only too well what it was like to feel unwanted, and it was something he did not wish on anyone, especially a child who had no control over her circumstances.

Refolding the letter, he slid it back across the table and for the first time that day, pushed all hurt aside to scrutinize the woman in front of him with new eyes.

She was visibly exhausted. Now that he was looking for it, he could clearly see the signs of a faint glamour usually used when trying to hide sleepless and tired eyes. Her robes that had once accentuated her soft curves now hung on her more than they should have. Severus frowned. Had it only been a month since he had last seen her? What could possibly have transpired in the last few weeks that had reduced this once proud woman to the nervous and fatigued sight in front of him?

His dark grey eyes darted to the young girl who was happily eating her pastry while trying to appear absorbed with the colorful finches. Her ploy would have been more believable had she not kept risking small glances in their general direction. The girl was far more attuned to what was going on around her than he knew Hermione wanted to believe, and her words had already proven that.

_ "Please be nice, Professor Snape. My mummy doesn't like anyone shouting at her anymore."_

His gaze traveled back to the figure in front of him and he came to a decision. He could argue that he was doing it purely for business purposes, after all making sure the health of one's work partner was tantamount in a productive business; however he knew he would be lying to himself. Hermione was his business partner, but she was also a…_friend_. He had finally accepted that somewhat shocking fact the morning she had assaulted him with chocolate croissants and confessed that she cared about his well being and considered him a mutual friend in return.

_Perhaps it was about time he returned the favor._

Setting his napkin on the table, he raised his hand and signaled the server to bring the cheque

Hermione looked startled.

"Severus, I am sorry for bringing up my personal problems. It…it was probably a mistake to bring Rosie. I am sure I could have left her with Molly. I only thought…please…don't leave. We can," Hermione said, as she twisted the napkin in her lap in desperation, but was cut off by the Potions Master's quiet voice.

"Tell me Hermione, how long has it been since you have had a proper meal?"

Her eyes locked with his and widened in surprise. This was the last thing she had been expecting.

"Do you not think I can see past a glamour? I am sure your daughter can as well. There is more to this than you are telling me Hermione, however this is neither the time nor place to discuss it further. You are in need of rest and a decent meal. I have a pot of stew simmering on the stove and a loaf of rosemary peasant bread I baked earlier this morning. I made an abundance, so you and your daughter may share it with me. We can continue this discussion afterward," he replied curtly but with an underlying tone that told her this was not a request.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply just as the server appeared and laid the cheque on the table.

Both parties reached for it at the same time and their hands brushed against the other. Severus inhaled sharply at the contact and looked up in surprise at the large fallow eyes staring back at his own with equal confusion.

"Mummy, are you alright?"

Both pairs of eyes turned and saw Rose standing beside the table watching them with curiosity.

Hermione quickly cupped Rose's cheek in the palm of her hand. The little girl caught her mother's wrist, smiled, and then cast a wary glance at Severus.

_Gosh he's tall!_

"I'm fine sweetheart. Professor Snape has invited us to his home where we're going to have some…" Hermione glanced upward at Severus, slightly unsure, but deep down there was a desperate part of her that wanted a home cooked meal, and rest. Oh my, did she want some peace, some time to sleep.

She could not let Severus know that, though, could she?

Severus nodded once; an assurance that his invitation was sincere, but the Slytherin was not finished with his questions. He knew there was more to this than met the eye.

"Do you want to go, Mummy?" asked Rose gently, protectively. She grasped her mother's hand in both of hers and squeezed as she tugged. It was an indication that Rose wanted to be on a more even level with the adult.

Scooting the bookbag over with her foot, Hermione knelt down on one knee, and kissed Rose's forehead. She was now eye to eye with her daughter.

"Yes, Rosie?" Hermione asked quietly.

Rose whispered, but the ex-spy's keen senses allowed him to hear the compassionate voice say, "If you're scared, Mummy, we can go home. It's all right."

Hermione cupped Rose's face between her hands. Her smile was one of great love, of pride in her daughter. "My little warrior Rosie Athene. I trust Professor Snape with my life, and you can, too." She kissed both of Rose's cheeks, making her giggle. "He made bread, Rose. You love bread!"

As Hermione rose to her feet, with the helping hand of Severus, Rose turned to the wizard. Her eyes were sparkling. "You cook bread?"

"I… _bake_ bread, Miss Weasley," Severus smirked, raising an eyebrow at the young girl.

Rose shook her head. "That's not right. Men aren't s'posed to cook."

"Rose!" Hermione gasped in shock. "What did I tell you about that nonsense your father told you?"

Rose fingered the binding of her drawing tablet. She did not like being scolded in front of someone else. She did reply, though. "You said it was nonsense."

Severus, with thirty-two years of teaching in his background, knew such discussions could go on indefinitely so he interrupted, "Hermione, Miss Weasley, as fascinating as this is, I think we ought to return to my home where we may continue our meeting."

Having taken care of the cheque, Severus picked up the potions hamper from under his chair and gestured for mother and daughter to follow him. The three left the little tearoom and stepped out into the cold February afternoon.

"Come," Severus called as he pulled up his hood to ward against the chill air. He set out walking briskly to gain some warmth. The alley they needed to use for Disapparation was unfortunately a good five street blocks away in the Muggle part of London. Why Hermione chose to meet here was beyond him, especially when Diagon Alley or Hogsmead were closer to his home and more efficient.

Severus had walked a good distance before he realised he no longer felt the presence of Hermione or her daughter beside him. Stopping in his tracks he turned sharply on his heel to see the pair had fallen behind a good half block away. Hermione had picked up her daughter and stopped to wrap her cloak around them both for warmth, before once again trudging through the icy street to keep up with the Potions Master. Sighing, he made his way back to meet them half way.

"You could have waited you know." Hermione said sullenly upon reaching him. How dare he get angry at her!

"It is not my fault that you walk with the pace of a nematode," he sneered to hide the concern he felt at the hollows now visible beneath her eyes. It was obvious she was now too tired to maintain the glamour. Worry spread through him, though he refused to show it

"Yes, well _you_ try walking fast when carrying a little one." Hermione said as she clutched Rose tightly against her. It was cold, and in her haste to be on time, she had failed to grab her daughter's cloak. Hermione swayed a little under her daughter's weight, but still glared at the man in front of her, trying to maintain her dignity.

"Mummy, I am not a little one!" Rose piped up, but snuggled closer against her mother's chest. She wished they could get to the Professor's home already. She was cold and her stomach grumbled in hunger. The thought of a home cooked meal made her mouth water. She remembered when her mummy use to cook, but even then, it wasn't often. When she had worked at the Ministry, she was always coming home late with bags of greasy take out. After her daddy left them, her mummy didn't seem to have the energy to do the things she use to, so the few home cooked meals they did have, stopped altogether and they came to rely completely on take, or microwavable food unless grandma Molly visited and brought them meals, which wasn't often.

"I'm cold," Rose whispered as she wrapped herself more firmly around her mother. Tears threatened her eyes.

Severus watched the pair and knew unless he stepped in; Hermione would undoubtedly collapse before reaching their destination. He could see she clearly did not have the strength to hold her daughter while walking the next four blocks to the Disapparation point.

Using Slytherin tactics, as well as his years of working with children, he moved his potions hamper to the crook of his arm before speaking.

"I wonder Miss Weasley if you have ever wondered what it is like to see things from a higher vantage point?"

Rose turned around to look up at the Severus with keen interest, her hunger suddenly diminished. The Professor fascinated her in a way she could not explain. He was quite tall after all, even taller than her father! She had never met anyone taller than her daddy.

"How tall are you?" She asked shyly.

"6'1," Severus responded, a slight quirk on his lips. This little imp was a strange one indeed, inquiring about height of all things when it was freezing outside.

Rose's mouth formed a little pink 'o' in awe.

"If your mother is willing," Severus continued with a wave of his hand. "You may switch places and see the world from a higher perspective. We would probably arrive at our destination quite faster as well," he added eyeing Hermione sternly. He knew the woman was proud, and would also be somewhat reluctant to ask him for help if he did not offer it first.

Hermione gave her daughter a tired smile. Though she was grateful to Severus, Hermione realised he probably saw how exhausted she was to make such an offer.

_That meant her glamours were failing._

Sighing in resignation, she only hoped he would not begin drilling her with questions until she was able to rest for a bit.

"Sweetheart would you mind if Professor Snape held you until we reached the Disapparation point? It is too cold to let you down without a proper cloak. Besides, I bet things are more interesting from that high up," she said as she rubbed her cold nose against her daughter's equally cold one. Ron had rarely picked Rose up after Hugo's death. The girl had been so young the last time her father had actually held her; she probably didn't even remember it.

Rose glanced from one adult to the other before remembering her mother's words.

_"My little warrior Rosie Athene. I trust Professor Snape with my life, and you can, too."_

_ That was good enough for her._

Taking a deep breath, she turned around, stretching small hands to the dark wizard in front of her. She was surprised when unexpectedly gentle arms lifted her up, and placed her snugly against a lean hip. A blanket of warmth cascaded over her as he closed his thick woolen cloak around them both.

He smelled like newly cut grass and the fresh linen grandma Weasley hung outside on breezy summer days. Feeling protected and warm, she wrapped her small arms around the Professor's neck and closed her eyes feeling drowsy. His ebony locks tickled her cheek and made her smile. Rose was so comfortable, she forgot about the view around her.

Severus had been surprised when he felt her plump arms encircle his neck in trust. It was not an unpleasant feeling, but certainly one he was not used to.

_At least the girl had sense enough not to chatter away._

He saw Hermione regarding them with an expression he could not quite place, and suddenly felt extremely self conscious. Inclining his head, he motioned for them to continue walking, but this time he made sure to slow his pace to match that of the tired woman beside him.

Finally upon reaching the covert shadows of the darkened alley, the Potions Master tucked the sleeping girl more securely against him before extending his arm to Hermione. Slowly, she covered his hand with her own, and for a brief second something flashed in Severus' dark eyes that made her breath catch, but it was gone as quickly as it had come, and before she realised what had happened, he Disappareted them to Spinner's End.

_**Author: Master Severus Snape & etherian**_


	6. Chapter 6 Ronald Weasley

Ronald Weasley should not have had access to the house he had once shared with his wife… ex-wife! but before the two had become childhood sweethearts, then husband and wife, Hermione had been the _"____cleverest witch of her age"_. She had also been one third of the Golden Trio and had made it a point to teach her two friends the spells she had learned. "Spells of Survival" she had once told them.

It was this knowledge that an inebriated Ron used to break into her house. The house had been the subject of one of many of their arguments. It should have been him that bought them a house, not Hermione on her stingy Ministry cheque. She just could not wait to get away from living at the Burrow.

They had not lived in the Burrow, but Arthur, Bill, and Charlie had all pitched in to turn their father's old junk shed into a small, but livable little space for the two newlyweds.

Hermione could never stop complaining about it. It was too small. It was draughty. They should have their own house.

It did not matter that Ron was content — of course he never mentioned that for half the year he was traveling with his Quidditch team. The converted shed was a reasonable place, but not even Molly and Arthur had expected the young couple to stay as long as they did.

It was when Hermione became pregnant with Rose that it was she who found a small house on the edge of Hogsmeade. Ron's salary as a coach was hardly anymore than what she made at the Ministry, and he had refused to contribute to acquiring the new house so Hermione had emptied her savings, and had bought the house.

Drinking, mourning, and a different witch each night, was quickly eroding any good sense he might have had left. Ron had ignored his deterioration, but his employers, the owners of the Hissing Hottentots Quidditch team had not. Just as Ron had severed his connection to Rose that morning, by parchment, and by magic — ___Hermione did not know of that extra step and he had saved it to taunt her with_ — he had been fired.

Ron's solution had been to drink to such excess that the only emotions he could hang onto were the love he had for his Hugo, and the hatred he harbored in his stone cold heart for Hermione. It was ___her_ fault Hugo had died. It was___her_ fault that he was fired. It was ___her_ fault she had not touched him for over a year.

"Where are you, you murdering bitch?" he shouted to the darkened, and empty house.

Ron stepped forward and promptly tripped over a small cloak. Half on his knees, now, he squinted at the cloak that belonged to his daughter.

"S'not mine," he spat as his body wavered precariously. "Never had a filthy Squib in my family…" he muttered. "Not for three centuries you stupid Mudblood!" He suddenly shouted to the house.

Ron threw the cloak aside, took out his wand and hissed, "Incendio!" at it.

The small piece of cheery purple velvet burst quickly into flame. Ron pulled himself awkwardly to his feet and looked around the house.

"Never mine," muttered and sent another casting of the Fire Spell at a stack of Hermione's books. He smiled as the old paper and bindings caught fire slowly. The flames licked eagerly up the short tower of books and then advanced to alight the tattered old tapestry chair where Hermione always sat with that whelp of hers.

"Greasy Git," he growled sourly. "All those letters… dint give a single thought to my son, did you, Hermie? Bet she's his, huh? Yeah…"

As if a light had just turned on in his Firewhiskey soaked brain, a touch of sober madness burned in his eyes. Ron seemed completely unaware that the ottoman had now caught fire. Slowly, inexorably, the fire was circling him and soon it would catch him within it merciless trap.

"It's Professor Snape, Ron! The Headmaster trusts him! He's on our side, Ron!" he mimicked her voice.

With the stumbling grace of the drunkard, Ron moved just out of the growing fire's grasp and to the safety of the door that was still open to the outside. The flames had risen and their voices crackled merrily as they darted across the plain, shag carpet Hermione had found on sale, engulfed each piece of mis-matched furniture, and fed with fanatical glee upon all of Hermione's books.

"Bet the Squib's yours, Git. Well, you can have 'em!"

Escorted out by a twisting column of smoke, Ron trudged outside of the house, unaware of its cries as within curtains were caught by the flame allowing it to travel to the rest of the house.

Books, research, Hermione's clothing, Rose's beautiful cabinet of art supplies, the cheap linoleum of the kitchen floor bubbled, and curled before bursting into a roaring gout of flame.

By then, Ron was gone. He had Disapparated and with a drunkard's luck he had not even the decency to have Splinched himself.


	7. Chapter 7 Rose's Secret

Hermione leaned back against the sofa in front of the fireplace and felt sated, full, slightly decadent and certainly over-indulged. Severus had offered not just the wonderful, and aromatic homemade bread, with churned butter, but a delicious fruit compote of raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, and gooseberries. Rose, who preferred her grandmother's pastries to fruit, had asked Severus very politely for seconds of the compote. The little girl was now curled up against Hermione with her head against her mother's lap. Hermione was wrapping the silken pale red curls around her finger, humming an old lullaby softly beneath her breath.

Severus, who was clearing dishes from his small dining table that he had moved into the larger sitting room, noted that Hermione's eyes were fluttering with contented fatigue. He wondered if the tea he would be preparing might be more than what was needed.

"Ron missed this little one's birth," Hermione sighed. She was feeling very comfortable in the sitting room that was warmed by the flames, and smelled of old parchment, dried binders glue, books, and… _him_. "Maybe if he was the coach of the Chudley Canons, I might have forgiven him, but he's the coach of the Hissing Hottentots!"

Hermione giggled, and Severus smirked, but there was no humour in his expression. How could a father not be there when his first child was about to be born?

"I thought… I hoped, actually, that with the way Ron treated Hugo that he might see that Rosie ought to be treasured as he was." A tear slipped between the closed lid of one of Hermione's closed eyes. "It didn't change, and Rosie knew it." Hermione's eyes opened heavily, and turning slightly she caught the wizard watching her. "Do you know that Rosie asked me once why her father didn't like her?"

Severus stopped gathering the dishes by hand, and sent the rest of the dinner remains and dirty dishes into the kitchen. He moved to seat himself in his favourite chair by the fire, and dropped his dark gaze to the sleeping child. Hermione could see his anger simmering in the ebon depths, and his need to know.

"Hermione, I do not understand. Why is Ronald so antagonistic towards his own daughter?" He did not forget that he had been shown the legal paper that severed Ronald Weasley's rights to his daughter.

For a moment Hermione was quiet as she shifted so her feet were up on the sofa, and Rose was now firmly nestled partly against her mother's side and the back of the sofa, and partly spread across her lap. Severus automatically Summoned a century quilt from his bedroom, and it drifted over the two Weasley… no, Granger women.

With a sigh, Hermione continued her story, but all anger and sorrow had left her voice. It was flat, emotionless. "Ron works in the Department of Educational Financial Services. This means he has access to a copy of the Book of Records of Witches and Wizards; the original which, as I'm sure you know, resides at Hogwarts." She touched her daughter's cheek, stroking the warm softness of it. Rose sighed in her sleep, her mouth opening to accommodate her tiny thumb as it slipped between her teeth.

"Ron is NOT authorized to view the record but his curiosity won out on Rosie's fourth birthday." Hermione's recitation stopped as she removed Rose's thumb from her mouth. She raised her doe-like eyes and looked around the sitting room with an expression of disorientation. "I didn't think to bring Babbity."

To Severus' alarm it was this imagined deficiency that brought an appearance of more teardrops. Hermione sniffled, and grimaced, but more at herself. This weak, weepy woman just was not like her! It annoyed her that she could not seem to control her emotions, here, in front of Severus, and her daughter. After the disaster of this afternoon there would be no way that he would want her to go with him to Vienna. Nobody would want an old, plain witch with a child!

Hermione did not see that Severus had left the sitting room for a moment. He had left just when the tears had begun, and fearing a bout of womanly weakness he was _not _prepared to handle, he went about to do what he could _handle._

The tall wizard returned to the sitting room carrying something of brown velveteen that flopped softly. Severus leaned over Hermione and Rose and removed the thumb that had returned to the little girl's mouth. Tucking the bundle of cloth under the child's arm revealed that it was a velveteen rabbit. Hermione smiled in pleasure, stroking the soft body of the floppy rabbit.

"The Velveteen Rabbit. Oh, Severus, that's Rosie's favourite story!" Severus returned to his chair.

"It is just an old Charms textbook I transfigured, Hermione," Severus interjected quietly.

"Thank you, Severus," Hermione sighed, and closed her eyes, leaning snugly into the embrace of the sofa.

The Potions Master feared he would not learn what Ronald Weasley had found in the copy of the Book of Records, and so he asked; his voice sinuous, insinuating to just below Hermione's imminent slumber. She sighed, a sigh of a mother's anguish, and just before she spoke, Severus was not entirely certain he wanted to hear the answer.

"Rosie Athene Weasley… is not in the Book of Records."

Hermione's breath was a gentle sough that matched the breath of her daughter. She was asleep.

* * *

_**A/N: This is being written with the kind talents of Master Snape here at .**_


	8. Chapter 8 Contemplation

Severus leaned heavily against the well worn comfort of his favourite wingback chair while carding a hand through his dark locks, a habit he had picked up while grading endless amounts of essays in aggravation. The situation he was facing was equally as frustrating, perhaps even more so.

Ignoring the now cold tea he had prepared, he summoned a crystal decanter and glass from the small bar in his sitting room. Lucius had gifted him a rare bottle of Ogden's Old after his retirement from teaching, and though he rarely indulged due to the rampant alcoholism that ran in his father's side of the family, he was mentally exhausted from the day's activities and felt this small respite had been justifiably earned.

Pouring himself two fingers worth of the deep fiery liquid, he brought the glass to his nose and inhaled the smoky scent before allowing the smallest of sips to touch his tongue and burn its way down his throat, numbing him.

_Bliss, if even for a moment._

Closing his eyes, he allowed Hermione's last words to finally penetrate him, and realisation sank in. Hermione and Ronald's daughter was a squib. There was no other plausible explanation. It would be the only reason that her name was _not_ in the _Book of Records, _which housed the name of all magical people, past and present.

His dark grey eyes opened, and he watched the firelight spread its incandescent glow around the two sleeping forms reclining on his faded sofa. Hermione's exhausted features had softened into one of peace as sleep held her in its welcome embrace. Her daughter tucked against her, looked equally tranquil as she protectively clutched the fabric bunny he had transfigured for her. Together, they formed a picture in his mind of something precious that should be protected and treasured, not discarded like rubbish at the side of the road.

He wanted to kill Ronald Weasley, or at the very least, injure the deplorable bastard who had inflicted so much pain at his ex-wife and daughter. How anyone could willingly toss aside their own child for matters that was beyond their control was something Severus understood only too well. While Rose's father was rejecting her due to her _limited _magical abilities, his own father rejected him _because _of those very abilities, labeling him a freak of nature.

Closing his mind against the painful memories that threatened to engulf him, he focused his energies instead on the pair in front of him. It was obvious that they were not going anywhere tonight. Even if they had been awake, he would not have allowed them to leave. Hermione needed rest and peace if even for a little while, and he knew that Rose would only benefit from her mother's well being. He could see the child worried incessantly about Hermione and was only at peace when she was well. Severus sneered at his glass as he took another swallow. No child should have to be put in that kind of adult situation especially one as young as Rose. The thought made him want to throttle Weasley even more.

Finishing the remainder of his drink, he set the glass aside and pulled out his wand. Making sure not to wake them, he transfigured the sofa slightly so it had more room for the pair to move in comfort. Hermione stretched her legs and curled protectively around her daughter but did not awaken.

Standing up, he flicked his wand toward the dying embers of the hearth which immediately burst into a crackling blaze. Tucking his wand back into his sleeve, he silently moved to stand beside the sofa, and gazed down at the sleeping mother and daughter.

Maybe it was the spent emotions of the day, or perhaps it was the alcohol he had consumed, but whatever it was, he could not deny that seeing Hermione and her daughter sleeping on his couch stirred some foreign emotions in him that he could not quite place. It both disturbed and intrigued him.

Realising he was not thinking clearly, he knew it was time to go to bed. He would talk with Hermione in the morning after making sure they ate a proper breakfast, and tell her he would allow Rose to accompany them to Vienna.

_What choice did he have?_

He reached out and gently tucked the century quilt more securely around them before his hand brushed against a curl that had strayed against Hermione's cheek. His hand ghosted over the thick lock before he hesitatingly, tucked it behind her ear.

Her sudden sigh made his breath hitch and he instantly withdrew his hand, guilt washing over him like a wave. What was he doing? The woman was not even coherent and he was touching her like some rabid first year.

Confused and angry at his lack of control, he spun on his heels and quickly made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. He was quite sure all he needed was a decent night's sleep to sort out these discombobulating feelings.

Unbeknownst to him, a little red haired girl who was well practiced in feigning sleep due to her parents' arguments had watched the Potions Master with great interest through her barely closed lashes.

_**Author: Master Severus Snape**_


	9. Chapter 9 Clever Girl

Rose was a terribly clever and awfully sneaky girl. She was intrigued by this Professor Snape. As her mummy had told the professor about her daddy she had heard nearly undetectable hisses that reflected his obvious dislike of her daddy.

Truth be told, Rose would not admit she did not like her daddy, but he always disappointed her.

Wriggling, Rose shifted carefully, and moved until she was able to slip off the sofa. Professor Snape had made the flames in the fireplace glow very brightly so she had a very good view of the sitting room.

Like their own home the professor had a lot of books in shelves, and on top of shelves. He had more than mummy did. Rose glanced unhappily at her mum. Mummy had cried so awfully when she came home from work months before daddy had moved out and she discovered that daddy had sold a lot of her books. It had erupted into one of the many arguments they would have on a daily basis. Rose had hidden in her bedroom, but the walls were thin, and she remembered daddy saying that he had some debts to pay and if mummy wasn't going to give him the money then he had to get it another way. Daddy had then called her mummy one of the bad names and left, slamming the door.

Rose could not help but cry herself silently as she listened to her mummy cry.

The professor better not hurt her mummy. Rose vowed to kick him with her hard-toed, shiny Mary Janes if he did. She would bite him, too. Her little teeth were really sharp.

Rose tip-toed into the kitchen which she did not get a chance to look at earlier. It was painted sunshine yellow on the lower half of the walls, and on the upper half was wallpaper of bright sunflowers. Rose grinned, and let out a little giggle. One of her favourite artists was Vincent Van Gogh and he had painted some of the liveliest sunflowers she had ever seen.

The linoleum floor was dingy from age, but it was clean. The stove was interesting, though. It was a very old-fashioned looking stove of black iron. It was well used and Rose guessed that it was where the stew had cooked. She rubbed her tummy, and sighed happily. Professor Snape was a better cook than both mummy and daddy. Mummy did try but it was never that good. And, she always burned the toast! How could anyone burn toast?

The refrigerator looked old-fashioned, too. She walked over to it and grabbed the handle to open it. Electricity did not keep everything cold. It was magic. Rose rather liked that. Mummy was always insisting on using electricity in their house, but it always died. Mummy could not use a computer because her own magic made it go funny.

Mummy and daddy argued a lot about mummy's "Muggle stuff".

Hearing her tummy rumble, Rose grabbed the container of milk with both hands and carried it over to the two person kitchen table. She then went back to the open refrigerator, and grinned when she saw there was fruit compote left. Mummy had never made anything like that! That container joined the milk.

Rose closed the refrigerator and then realized her first problem with her late night snack. She did not have a glass for the milk, and mummy did not allow her to drink from the milk bottle. She quickly inspected the cabinets under the kitchen counter and only found pots and pans, and cleaning chemicals. Craning her neck she looked up at the cabinets that were over the counter and quite out of her reach.

Her tummy growled again. And, she was really thirsty.

Her lips thinned, and her brow creased in thought. Normally she was supposed to wake up her mummy if she got peckish at night, but they were not at their house. This was Professor Snape's house, and it was his food. Making her decision she hoped he would not be mad at her. Mummy had told her that the professor used to work with children, so he might understand.

Leaving the kitchen Rose slipped through the fire warmed sitting room and over to the steps where she had glimpsed the professor ascending. She hurried up them quickly and only with the silence a little girl easily could manage. Once up the stairs she was in a long and rather dingy hallway that was lit only by one low burning candle in a wall sconce. There were four doors, and all were closed. Two to each side of the hall.

Rose crept up to each door and put her ear to each one. Three were silent, but the fourth door, near the end of the hall, had sound. She could hear soft pad of pacing. Straightening, Rose took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door.

It was almost a whole minute before the door was cautiously opened by the potions master. Before Rose could say anything, her tummy rumbled for a third time.

_**Author: etherian**_


	10. Chapter 10 Midnight Snack

Severus paced through the confines of his bedroom. It was another habit picked up during his 32 years of teaching and spying. Many times when he came back to Hogwarts after being summoned by The Dark Lord, his troubled thoughts would make it impossible to sleep, so he had taken to pacing his quarters until his mind could relax. Usually it did not happen and he would often go straight into teaching his classes after a night of relentless walking.

_He was sure the new head of Slytherin was probably trying to figure out how the worn grooves in the carpet had come about_, he thought with a smirk.

As the potions master rounded the corner by the lone window, he turned to stare at his room.

Since he had taken over his former childhood home after his parent's death, he had made sure to begin evoking his own subtle changes into the tapestry that was Spinner's End. He did not want it to resemble the dwelling he had grown up in, but rather the home of the person he had become.

He had achieved this little by little over the years, more so after his retirement since he had more time to spend in his home rather than the mere three months out of the year he usually had when teaching.

The first thing he had done was clear out any remainders of his father's possessions, though he did save the few treasured mementos that belonged to his mother. He had also taken over the master bedroom, and turned his own childhood room into a guestroom. The other two rooms were used as a private office and library.

The sitting room and dining area were redone with new plush rugs and wallpapering though he had left the sofa and his favorite wingback chair as relics from his past. They were worn in with a comfort that Severus looked forward to each day.

The kitchen was relatively unchanged except for the wallpapering. Many he was sure, would be shocked if they saw the sunny yellow of the antiqued sunflower wallpapering he had chosen for the kitchen walls. As dark as most people viewed Severus, few would believe that he harbored a secret fondness for sunflowers, for they reminded him of his mother who had also loved them. Whenever they had a bit of money, they would walk to the poor flower girls who were usually perched outside of Cokeworth's only cinema and Eileen would pull out her little change purse and buy a small bunch for the kitchen table, always allowing Severus to hold them. Afterward, she would usually treat him to a small bag of pence candy of his choice, and he always picked the same one; black licorice drops. The spicy candy tended to last a long time and he savoured each one making sure never to eat more than two a day lest they should disappear too quickly. Sucking on a licorice drop while holding those bright sunflowers made a little boy feel as if the sun were actually peeking out from behind the endless curtain of clouds that always hung around his shabby town.

It was that same feeling he tried to capture when choosing the wallpaper for the kitchen, the one area in the house that his mother actually looked happy in while she cooked.

His home was not beautiful in any sense of the word, nor was it Malfoy Manor, but it was comfortable, and it was a past of who Severus was.

_It was home._

Feeling fatigued and remembering he had house guests to cook for in the morning, he decided it would be best to turn in after all. He unbuttoned his frock coat and was about to undo his cravat when he heard a very soft knock on his door. His hands stilled on the soft silk of the cravat as he strained to listen.

Three soft knocks echoed in the stillness of the room, and he knew instantly one of them was awake.

_ But which one?_

Muttering under his breath because of the lateness of the hour, he pulled on his frock coat and spelled the buttons closed before walking to his bedroom door and carefully opening it.

At first he saw nothing, but then he heard a rumbling sort of sound and looked down. There staring up at him with enormous blue eyes was Hermione's daughter. They stared at each other in uncomfortable silence for what seemed like minutes before Severus finally spoke.

"Miss Weasley."

"um, Hello Professor Snape. Nice night isn't it?" Rose flinched at making such a stupid remark, but suddenly after seeing the tall man open the door, her courage had failed her. She should have gone to her mummy instead.

Severus stared incredulously at the young girl.

"It was until I was interrupted from sleep," he drawled.

Rose crossed her small arms over her chest and frowned at the dark man in front of her as her courage came back full force.

"You weren't sleeping! I heard you pacing! Besides, you have on your coat and scarf, who sleeps in that?"

Severus arched an eyebrow at the strawberry redhead and leaned against the door frame. He would have probably been angrier if he was not so amused. People rarely stood up to him like this.

"First," he intoned silkily, "this is a cravat, not a scarf which is used as a formal and more elegant neck tie whereas a scarf is used to keep ones neck warm. Second and most important, you could only have known I was pacing if," he chose this time to narrow his glittering eyes at the now visibly nervous girl. "you….were…sneaking."

Rose's courage quickly drained as she heard the deadly serious tone in his last three drawn out words. Unfortunately, her traitorous stomach picked this moment to give out a loud grumble. She lowered her eyes and blushed with embarrassment.

"I…I'm sorry Professor Snape. I didn't mean to sneak, but mummy was asleep, and all I wanted was a glass of milk…and…I couldn't reach…_sniff…"_ Rose was beyond humiliated now that her stupid tears had come out of nowhere. Surely the professor would think of her as nothing more than a dumb child. She sniffed even louder at the thought.

Severus' anger dissipated like smoke when he saw the girl start to cry. Why did everything have to be so complicated with children this young? His experience was with older children, not seven year olds. Sighing, he dropped down to Rose's level as he had seen Hermione do earlier.

"I suppose that intrusive sound is indication that you are hungry?"

Rose wiped her hands across her eyes, but still would not look up at the professor. "Uh huh,' was all she could get out in her embarrassment.

"Well, we can't have your stomach waking up the house can we? Come," he said as he quickly pulled the girl onto his hip and stood up. Rose gasped in surprise. The last thing she expected was for the angry man to pick her up. The professor confused her at times. Was he mean or nice?

"Accio Velveteen Rabbit," commanded the deep voice.

Instantly, the fabric bunny flew into his hand, after which he pressed it gently into her own. Her cerulean eyes looked into his own ebon and were surprised to see amusement in them and not anger.

_Maybe he was nice after all._

"Thank you P..Professor Snape. I miss Babbity, but I really like the Velveteen Rabbit too. It's my favorite story. Mummy reads it to me all the time!" Rose gushed as she hugged the floppy bunny. He was so soft.

"It was one of mine as well. My mother use to read it to me as a child," Severus said as he carefully made his way down the ornately carved mahogany staircase. It had been his latest change over the summer. Draco had helped him carve the wood himself.

"Where is your mummy now?" Rose whispered into his ear. They had just passed her own mummy and she didn't want to wake her.

Severus stiffened before answering.

"She passed away many years ago."

"You mean she's in Heaven?"

"I…would like to think so," Severus said quietly as he entered the kitchen and set the girl down. Why was she asking him such things? No one had ever asked him questions like this, not even Draco. It unnerved him.

Rose moved to the small pine table and sat down on the matching ladder-back chair. It had a green and yellow tartan cushion that matched the wallpaper. The kitchen was small, but it had a warm felling that made Rose smile. Her mummy's kitchen always seemed so cold, especially with all the glaring Muggle appliances. She imagined herself sitting at Professor Snape's kitchen with her art supplies spread on the pine table while he cooked bread and her mummy read beside her. She was so deep in her thoughts; she didn't even realize he was speaking until she saw him take the other seat directly across from her.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"I..um..didn't hear.."

"Typical. One or two slices of bread?"

It was then she noticed the wooden breadboard he had placed on the table. A crusty loaf of potato bread sat upon it along with a pitcher of cold milk and the compote she had come to love.

"Two please!" she said holding up one of the white scalloped plates he had set to the side.

Severus cut two thick slices of the rich potato bread before slathering each one with a heaping spoonful of the berry compote. He slid the plate over to the hungry child and poured her a glass of milk before cutting a smaller slice for himself.

The two ate in companionable silence for a few minutes; each one lost in their own thoughts before Rose finally spoke up.

"Daddy was wrong."

"Pardon?"

"About you…you're not evil."

Severus smirked.

"There are many people who would think otherwise."

"Well they're arseholes then."

"_Language_ Miss Weasley," Severus said with a warning note in his voice. Where had she learned such language? Surely not from Hermione.

"Sorry," Rose said as her face flushed with embarrassment. She had heard her daddy use such terms many times before. She didn't know it was bad.

"I just mean that I know you aren't an evil person."

"And pray tell how can you assume that having met me only once?" he asked, truly curious as to how she came to her conclusion. If the poor girl only knew…

"Because," Rose said as she finished the last of her milk. "You care about my mummy or you wouldn't have let us stay here. I can tell by the way you look at her."

Severus almost dropped the glass of milk he was holding as he felt a blush creep up his neck. Trying to recover his dignity, he stood up and grabbed the plates by hand to take them to the sink before muttering a response.

"Yes, well she is my business partner and friend. I am sure any decent person would have done the same thing," he said as he turned on the water and started scrubbing at the dishes harder than they needed.

Rose watched him intently realizing she must have said something wrong. Why was she always saying the wrong things? She clutched her bunny and held him close. If she kept saying silly things, he may not let her come back to the house with the warm kitchen ever again.

Severus finished the dishes and turned to see Rose staring numbly at the table, the fabric bunny held tightly in her arms. He pinched the bridge of his nose and silently cursed. He was simply inadequate to handle young children. He desperately wanted to awaken Hermione, but he knew she needed to sleep badly.

_They all did as a matter of fact._

"Miss Weasley, why don't you go back to sleep now. I am sure your mother will be looking for you soon. The hour is late," he said as he walked back to the table to stand in front of the redhead, arms crossed.

"I'm not tired. Mummy always reads to me before bed…do you think you could read something to me?" she asked looking up at the potions master hopefully.

Severus knew that sometimes it was better just to give in than to argue. He was simply too tired to do the latter. This had been one of the strangest days he had experienced in a long time, and not one he wanted to repeat any time soon.

"Very well," Severus sighed with resignation. Meet me in the sitting room shortly. Make sure to stay quiet Miss Weasley. I do not want you to wake up your mother."

Rose's eyes lit up. She could not believe he had said yes! Jumping from her chair, she rushed over and threw her arms around the stiff older man.

"Thank you Professor! I promise to be extra quiet!"

Before he could respond, she had run out of the kitchen toward the sitting room.

Severus stood there for a minute or so completely shocked by her behavior.

He could not remember the last time anyone had willingly attempted to touch let alone hug him, not including Arsenius who regarded him as a son.

Running his long pale fingers through his lank locks, he pushed the confusing emotions to the back of his mind and reached up a hand.

"Accio Velveteen Rabbit book."

The book swiftly flew into his hand as he walked out of the kitchen to make his way to the sitting room.

Rose was sitting in his favorite wingback chair with her bunny. When she saw him coming, she stood up and smiled.

_Someone was actually smiling and waiting for him._

He was sure this had to be some sort of sick cosmic joke.

Shaking his head, he sat down on the chair and thought Rose was going to sit on the floor, but again she surprised him by climbing up to curl on his lap. Trying desperately not to look as shocked as he felt, he summoned an older quilt his own mother had made for him as a child. It was worn and patched in some places, but it was still soft and warm. He spread it over her and Rose snuggled into it, leaning contentedly against him.

Severus opened the book and started to read while trying to push down the feelings of confusion and turmoil that was were threatening to engulf him. At first he sat stiffly, clearly uncomfortable at such closeness with anyone, but as the story continued, and Rose listened quietly with her bunny, Severus became more comfortable and gradually relaxed against the little girl eventually bringing his hand to rest lightly around the girl's shoulders.

As the potions master's deep timber told the story of how a simple stuffed toy wished to be real and loved, the little girl in his lap fell into slumber carrying with her dreams of wishful toys and happy families.

By the time the embers were reduced to glowing coals in the hearth, the professor had joined her, his dark head resting against her red curls, the book having fallen softly onto his lap.

When Hermione awoke in the morning, the first sight to greet her was Severus and Rose asleep together in the old wingback chair, the fabric bunny tucked between them.

_**Author: **__**Master Snape - see my profile page for the link**_


	11. Chapter 11 Smoke

Hermione stretched as she woke. She revelled in a contented sigh of muscle and sinew after the much needed rest. With a jerk she was instantly aware that the child who had fallen asleep against her was no longer there. Throwing off the pleasant muzziness of sleep, Hermione sat up on the sofa to quickly look around. Rose was inquisitive; sometimes too curious for her own good. If she ran into any of Severus' protective wards she might get hurt.

As her questing suddenly alighted upon something by the embers glow, Hermione smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Rose had somehow endeared herself to the Severus Snape, infamous Greasy Git, Bat of the Dungeons, and general Despiser of all Dunderheads.

Rose was on the Potions Master's lap, warm beneath a small and lovingly worn quilt, with her head of silken curls beneath his chin, and one hand clutching the transfigured rabbit between her body and his. As for Severus he had one arm securely around the little girl's body.

Hermione, as she watched this delicate tableaux, noticed how serene Severus was in his sleep. His lashes were a delicate brush of sooty black that reminded Hermione of Rose's fan paintbrush. The wizard did snore, but it was more of a rumbling purr like Crookshanks used to make, and that thought had the witch cracking a smile and stifling a laugh.

"Something humourous, Hermione," came a voice roughened by sleep. Severus had not, yet, opened his eyes.

Rose yawned with a squeak and a grin for her mother. "Morning, Mummy." She looked up into the rather stern face of the Potions Master whose eyes were now open, and settled on her.

"G'morning, Professor. You're really comfy but I have to tinkle." Without regard to the look of uncomfortable horror Severus' face shifted into so very briefly, Rose slid off his lap then went over to her mother.

"Severus?" Hermione asked pointedly as she slipped off the sofa, picked up Rose, and stood.

As the older man looked up at mother and daughter, he saw Hermione's eyes sparkling with delight at how well he had accepted her child. For that, he glowered, then pointed at the staircase.

"The water closet is under the staircase. It is adequate." He then retreated to his room upstairs and his own needs.

Breakfast was a more leisurely and pleasant affair. The domesticity appealed to the wizard, but he would never say so to anyone. Usually he read the Daily Prophet by himself, but Rose had scooted her chair next to his and before he knew it he was giving her short lessons in reading. The Daily Prophet had never been so educational!

All too soon breakfast ended and it was time for Hermione and her daughter to leave. Severus escorted them to the sitting room where they could Apparate. Rose threw her arms around the wizard, smushing her cheek against his hip.

"I had fun, Professor Snape," she smiled up at him. "Will you come and visit so I can show you my artwork?"

"I would be pleased to do so, Miss…" He paused as he gazed down into those beautiful blue eyes. In truth, at least legally, the child was no longer a Weasley. She did not know this, though. He gave her a small smile, and cupped one of her soft cheeks. _"____Rose."_

Rose leaned into the touch of the professor's cool, calloused hand. She had hugged her father, but he had never touched her like this. It was comforting and very much like her mother's touch.

Hermione lifted Rose to her hip and the girl automatically slipped her arms around her mother's neck. She smiled, somewhat shyly, up at the wizard. "Thank you, for everything, Severus."

Severus nodded. "I would like for you both to come back for lunch, Hermione. We were supposed to discuss particulars for Vienna yesterday, and we were a touch sidetracked."

Hermione blushed, and laughed softly. "I know. I am sorry…"

Severus held up his hand. "There is no need to apologise, my dear. Rose is quite welcome to join us on the trip. As for… everything else, let us not dwell upon it."

Hermione nodded an emphatic agreement. She reached out and her fingers lightly touched his forearm. "We just need a change of clothes, Severus, and then we'll be back for lunch, all right?"

Rose piped up, "I'll bring Babbity, too!"

Moments later the Potions Master watched as mother and daughter vanished.

Hermione's house was located in a rather pretty grove of willow trees and eight other homes. All the homes were of whitewashed stone, thatched roofs, mullioned windows with flower boxes, and white picket fences that separated each property. The little neighborhood had a fairytale quality to it that Hermione had fallen in love with.

The beauty of the Hogsmeade neighborhood compensated for the fact that the witch had wanted something in the Muggle world but there was no way for her to afford the prices. The suburbs of Hogsmeade, were much more reasonable. After she had seen the pretty little house within, Hermione had become charmed.

Neverland, as Hermione had dubbed the house that had taken nearly all of her savings, had one floor for the kitchen, a mud room, a bathroom, and a generous living room. The upstairs was more of a large loft that had room for the master bedroom that Hermione had sealed with a Repelling Hex, the guest room that had once served as Hugo's nursery, and Rose's bedroom that was stuffed with all of her artwork. Rose's room was watched over by a patchwork rabbit she had named Babbity that held pride of place on a blue canopied bed on top of all of the pillows.

Hermione had planted a garden of vegetables and herbs in the backyard, she had hand sewn all of the curtains, painted the rooms — in short she had made Neverland a home. And Ron had never had a kind word for it unless he was home for a week in his wife's bed and needed to be in her good graces.

Ron and Hermione had not been terribly serious as a couple in school, and certainly not during the horribly long and tedious hunt for horcruxes. The aftermath of the Final Battle brought a euphoria that took many by surprise. Everywhere anyone looked there were whirlwind romances, marriages, and births.

Hermione and Ron had their own whirlwind affair, and it really was one of tempestuous kissing, and heated nights where they fell asleep in each other's arms. Ron kept proposing, but Hermione resisted. She had a year of Hogwarts to repeat, her NEWTs to revise for and to take, and three offers of apprenticeships she was mulling over. Marriage was the last thing on her mind.

It was George's need for someone to help him run Weasley's Wizard Wheezes that distracted Ron. Hermione, for a time, was impressed by the responsibility Ron showed in taking a partnership with his brother, George. That lasted all of three months.

Next was the Auror Training Corps. Harry wanted Ron to join him, but that lasted less than being a manager at his brother's shop of wild inventions. Ron was dismayed by the amount of work that was required just to go out and "Stun dark wizards".

It was at that time when Ron received an offer from the Croydon Crockers, an impressive professional Quidditch team looking for a Keeper. They did not admit until much later that they were hoping that in employing one third of the Golden Trio Harry Potter might follow. After two years that was not going to happen, and so Ron was traded to an Irish team.

Hermione, in the meantime, had taken her repeated year, her NEWTs (second highest score in a century), and was in the middle of her Healer's Apprenticeship. It was not an apprenticeship that was one of the three offered. The war, and her own inadequacies on the field of battle, had Hermione leaning towards Healing. She had fought a good three years for the apprenticeship taking odd jobs in Diagon Alley, and the Muggle world to supplement her income. Of the three that had offered the Healer's Apprenticeship was the hardest and most challenging. It was hard on the emotions but there was so much good that she could do that it made her feel alive.

In the fourth year of her apprenticeship, when Hermione had to choose between research, or as a Pediatric Specialist, Hermione discovered she was pregnant. She was 26 and an unwed mother. A situation not terribly frowned upon in the Muggle world, but in the wizarding world it was a death knell to the career she had planned for herself. Her unwed status ended her apprenticeship (her mentor was a very old fashioned wizard who disapproved very highly of her new circumstances).

It was a desperate evening, when she had been turned down for her seventh interview for a job, that Hermione accepted Ron's ever present proposal.

Not long after their wedding and when they moved into the converted shed at the Burrow, Hermione realised what a mistake she had made. Ron had not just wanted a wife, he wanted a broodmare that was happy to stay at home with all the children while he earned a living.

The problem with that was that Hermione did not want more than two, possibly three, children. She also wanted to keep working, and she wanted to find someone who would be willing to mentor her so she could finish her Healer's apprenticeship. The arguments began, and Ron became a Chaser for the Hissing Hottentots.

Rose was born without the presence of her father and Hermione went to work in the Filing Department of the Ministry.

It had not been what Hermione wanted for her life, but there was Rose. Then, for three blessed years she had Hugo. Hugo had brought a part of the old Ron back, and Hermione held out hope that Ron would eventually accept his daughter as he did his son.

Then, a year ago a terrible strain of Dragon Pox had taken the small boy away just days away from his third birthday. Ron was gone, again, and since Hermione was home Ron had blamed the boy's death on her. It was an angrily righteous witch who demanded a divorce. She was fortunate that Neverland was in her name, not in Ron's. He left the minute the divorce was final, and Hermione hoped never to see him again.

With Rose's hand in hers they strolled together down the main street of Hogsmeade. Rose loved Scrivenshaft's ever since they opened a new section of art materials. Since Rose had been so good during their visit with Severus, Hermione thought it might be nice to purchase a Never-Ink Drawing Quill. She had saved up for several weeks and had just enough to afford the pricey quill.

"Mummy, look!" Rose was pointing over the shops and trees to something in the distance. "It's smoke!"

As Hermione followed her daughter's pointing finger and gaze, and felt lead forming uncomfortably in her belly. "Smoke," she gasped. In that moment she knew that the direction she was looking towards was familiar. Gathering Rose swiftly into her arms, Hermione vanished with the "pop" of Disapparation. Her destination was Neverland.

**__****End of Part I**

_**Author: etherian**_


	12. Chapter 12 Ashes to Ashes

Hermione stumbled from her hasty Apparition dropping Rose accidentally from her arms. Rose let out a sharp wail as her knee hit a rock. She turned like a little fish to sit upon her bum, and stretched her arms up to her mother.

Hermione did not see Rose. Her mouth had fallen open and her eyes had widened with incredulity at the sight she faced. She, along with her neighbors, were watching as a wizarding Fire Brigade held out their wands and were dousing the last of small flames in what had once been Neverland. All that remained were a few scorched timbers, and a great lot of ash, more blackened timbers; all glistening with a soaking of water.

The fire had not just damaged the house, but four willows were badly singed. The white picket fence remained but it was the colour of smudged soot.

"Wh—- what happened?" Hermione whispered in shock as she stepped toward the blackened and unpleasantly smelling mess. Automatically she touched the gate and when it fell open it revealed how fragile it had become.

Just as Hermione meant to step through the gate, a hand caught her upper arm and quickly wrapped around her shoulders. "It's too dangerous, Hermione."

"But… it's my… my home…" Hermione blurted in a choked breath.

"Mummy! Mummy!" Rose was in the arms of a tall, stocky man, another neighbor. She had forgotten about her injured knee and was nearly falling out of the man's arms in order to reach her mother.

Hermione finally heard her daughter and jerked away from the devastating sight. "Rosie!"

Rose practically launched herself at her mother and wrapped around Hermione like a Capuchin monkey. She pressed her little face into her mother's curly hair and continued to croon sadly. "Mummymummymummy…"

Now trying to avoid the remains of her house, Hermione turned to the neighbor that had prevented her from going closer to the property. "Abby, does anyone know what happened?"

Abigail Weatherton an older witch with a pleasantly wrinkled face looked upon her younger neighbor sadly. "Letiticia says she saw that wastrel husband of yours Disapparate from the house when flames burst from an upstairs window."

"Ron? Ron did this?" Hermione, and several of the other witches and wizards coughed as an uprise in the breeze carried ash and soot towards the crowd.

Instinctively Hermione turned away and gently pushed her daughter's face into her bosom. She was bent slightly to protect Rose from the debris in the air, and to take comfort from the small girl.

After what felt like several long and drawn out minutes a wizard with a long, grey walrus moustache got her attention. "You Mizzus Weasley?" he drawled.

"I am…" then Hermione corrected herself. "No, it's Miss Granger, now. We're divorced."

The grey moustachioed man, one of the firefighters, nodded sagely. "Ah, Miss Granger. Ah'm sorry but there wasn't nothin' to salvage cept this little thing." The firefighter held up a smudged, rather soggy rabbit that had one ear burnt away.

Rose lifted her head and recognised the battered stuffed animal. "Babbity!"

The firefighter smiled sadly and handed the rabbit over to the little girl who tucked the bedraggled thing between herself and her mother. He started to turn away when Hermione stopped him.

"They said my ex-husband did this," she began shakily. Glancing mournfully at the black remains it shook her that Ron could hate her so much. "I… do you know… I…"

The firefighter took pity on her stammering and interrupted. "I just did muh job, Miss Granger. I don't know nothin' 'bout your ex, or any of that." He turned slightly, and pointed at a crimson robed man. "Thas Auror Hatfield. Mebbe he knows."

"Thank you… sir… I'll go…" not finishing her thought, Hermione turned around slowly. Some of her neighbors had returned to their own homes, and lives. She spotted the older witch that had spoken to her earlier. "Abby!"

The witch turned away from a conversation with another witch. "Yes, dear?"Hermione strode over the few steps and began to hand Rose over. "Please watch Rose…"

"Mummy, no!" cried Rose.

"Not now, Rosie!" snapped Hermione. Rose clicked her mouth shut in shock. Her mummy had never yelled at her! The bushy-haired witch then thrust her daughter into the older woman's arms.

Abby tucked Rose against her ample bosom, and patted the small back. "Let's see what we can do about your Babbity, little one."

Rose clutched at Babbity, but her lower lip trembled as her mother walked away.

It was near to noon when everyone had ended their gawking and gossiping. The firefighters had gone, as well as the one Auror that had been on the scene to take statements from any and all possible witnesses. Hermione had been surprised that there had been so many that had seen Ron either entering Neverland, or leaving it. Bertleby Framp, who took care of all the willows in Willow Grove had even mentioned seeing Ron leaving the Hogs Head Inn.

With Rose taking a nap at Abby's house Hermione sat upon a mossy stone as she looked upon what had once been her sanctuary. Everything was gone. Her clothing, all of her pictures of Rose, and blessed Hugo, even her wedding album. Not a stick of furniture remained, the curtains she had learned to sew for her home to reflect some beauty, had burned very rapidly. One firefighter had mentioned that Rose's room, filled with crayons, parchment, and her precious oil paints, had literally exploded the roof off of the house.

Dropping her head into her hands silent tears fell from her eyes.

A year ago it had been her dear little boy. Hugo who was always so soft spoken, and so loving. There was never a day that had gone by in his short life that he did not smile, or bestow a smile on someone.

Babbity had come through a bit singed, but Hermione had found something else on the edges of the destruction; a small book made by two children for Mother's Day. The corners were roundly singed, but the heavy construction paper pages had survived. Each page was decorated with drawn hearts surrounded by glitter, and stick figures that were of Hermione, Rose, and Hugo. Across the pages the figures went to a park, they danced, had a picnic, and then went home where mummy read to them both.

As her tears fell from her cheeks Hermione clutched the little book of memories to her heart. There was nothing left of Hugo, now, and it felt like she was losing him again. "How could you, Ron?" she whispered toward the now dead house. "Was I that awful to you?"

Hermione bent over the last she had of Hugo, of her home, of her life, and began to sob. She was silent, though. Her grief shook her body so thoroughly she slid slowly from the stone until she was on her knees. Whilst still she wept, a black cloak billowed behind her and an arm gently draped across her shoulders. The witch leaned against the man that held her against his side, stroking his hand over her mess of curls. He was talking to her andt his low, thrumming voice wrapped around her as his robes had, enveloping her in scents of clean linen, fresh cut grass and vetiver.

_**End of Part II**_

_**Author: etherian**_


	13. Chapter 13 I Will Handle It

Not since serving Voldemort had Severus been more grateful that he was a natural born Occlumens. If Hermione knew the lethal rage that was seething just below the surface of his mind, it would have frightened her beyond comprehension, and that was not what she or her daughter needed right now.

His Slytherin patience may be required at the moment, but once he had Hermione and her daughter someplace safe, he knew the thin thread that was keeping his anger in check would snap.

Severus hoped at least for Molly's sake, that Weasley had made his peace with whatever deity he worshiped because as of now he was living on borrowed time.

Returning his attention to the quietly sobbing woman who was tucked under his arm, his thick woolen cloak draped over both of them, he tried his best to move past his own mental deficiencies in order to be a reassuring presence for her. His experience in comforting people was severely limited. Even when he had been Head of Slytherin house, most of his Snakes were far too proud to seek comfort from anyone, let alone their Head of House. His own feeble experiences had come from his mother when he was a child, and even those had been somewhat lacking since his father usually forbade his mother to help him in any way when he was in pain. Very early on in his life, Severus had learned the world was an ugly place, and in order to survive in it, he had to fend for himself. It was a brutal lesson, but one he learned quickly.

He also knew what it was like, to lose everything you loved and worked hard for in the blink of an eye. In this way, he could relate and offer what comfort he could, as meager as it was. Hermione was his _friend _and if it came right down to it, he would do anything in his power to protect her and her daughter.

In the past year of reacquainting himself with the former _know it all_, she had gone from his irritant former student, and upon Lucius's encouragement, a competent business partner, and finally after much resistance on his part, to someone he could call a _friend. _Severus could honestly count the number of people he could apply this term to on one hand, and Hermione was one of those rare few.

Holding her close, he moved his slender fingers through the mass of her umber curls and closed his eyes against her hair as he waited for her sobbing to die down. His senses were temptingly assaulted by her scent; decadent French milled soap and spicy citrus. Mixed with the acrid smell of the smoke from the dying remains of the house, it painted a bittersweet portrait of beauty and destruction that was painful to witness.

He knew she needed to vent some of her pain before they went to retrieve Rose. She needed to be strong for her daughter, but in order to do that, she first had to deal with some of her internal grief.

His silken voice rumbled words of encouragement in her ear as he stroked her hair and was relieved when he felt her body start to relax, and her crying slowly diminish as she regained control of herself.

Pulling slightly away, Hermione turned her red and swollen eyes up to the Potions Master. Severus was not surprised to see such open betrayal in her eyes. What was surprising, however, was the resigned look that followed it. Hermione was not one to give up easily and had always been a fighter. To see the light fade from her hazel eyes unnerved Severus greatly, but still he kept his expression completely neutral when facing her.

"How…how did you find me?" One hand curled into his heavy robes much as a child might withdraw into a favoured blanket.

"When you and Rose did not show up for lunch as planned, I took it upon myself to seek you out. I was certain whatever it was would not be pleasant or you would have contacted me," Severus said quietly as his eyes flicked up to survey the devastation and then back down at Hermione.

Suddenly, she grabbed the front of Severus' robes making him gasp at the sudden movement. Her eyes were blazing with rage.

"Severus, it was Ron! The neighbors, they saw…"

Severus let go the breath he was holding and cupped her face between his pale hands.

"I know Hermione," he said through gritted teeth. "Do not worry about that right now. You need to concentrate on your daughter, first."

"What? " Hermione gasped; shocked that he would say such a thing. "But that bastard burned down all that we have! Severus, Rose and I are destitute! We have nowhere to go! Everything we owned was in that house…and Hugo… my baby…" Hermione sobbed once again, and this time she did not even try to hide her hopelessness as she collapsed against Severus' chest.

Trying very hard not to shrink away from the closeness he was unused to, he tentatively wrapped his cloak more securely around her shaking body and pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. He gave her a few minutes to gain back her control before he attempted to speak again. He knew he had to talk reason into her as her daughter needed her badly.

"Hermione, I understand the pain that is gripping your heart and mind. I do not have children, but I know only too well what it is like to lose everything you hold dear. If it is this difficult for you as an adult, surely you must understand how much more confusing it will be for your daughter. You must pull yourself together and see sense," Severus said as he lifted her face off his chest and forced her to look into his dark grey eyes. "I swear to you, Hermione, that Weasley will pay dearly for what he has done to you and your daughter. You leave that to me. Too long have you fought for others-_ I- Will- Handle- This_." His tone was deadly and brooked no room for argument. Hermione could hear the slip of venom in his words and it sent a shiver down her spine that wasn't from the cold.

Hermione, for once, did not care what happened to Ron. It felt good to have someone else protecting them for a change. She was so tired of always having to endure Ron's belittling of her and Rose as well as learning constantly about his numerous affairs. She knew she was ugly to him, especially after Hugo's death. Any chance they had was shattered after their son's untimely demise. She knew Ron blamed her for everything; Rose being a squib, Hugo's Death, their failing marriage….

She sobbed again, pulling herself against her former Professor's chest. His scent of clean summer linen, fresh grass and vetiver surrounded her and she felt insistently calmer. The man may be difficult, but in the past two days, he had done more for her and Rose than Ron had done throughout their entire marriage. As she reached a hand to trace one of his endless buttons, she realized just how important Severus had become in her life .

This last year had been a very strange but also eye opening experience regarding the dark wizard whose arms were wrapped around her. In reacquainting herself with the former Professor, she gradually started to see sides of him that most of the world was not privy to. She almost managed to smile when she thought about him humming Pink Floyd or Neil Young tunes as he brewed. He had a rickety turntable at Spinner's End, and was shocked to discover his vast collection of vinyls hidden in his lab. More shocking was the myth that he enjoyed only classical or funereal music was dead wrong. Severus in fact boasted a collection of music that included everything from Chopin to The Beatles. The day she discovered his collection, and heard him humming, was the day she started to see him as far more than just her snarky old Potions Professor. Over time, she finally started to learn bits of who Severus Snape really was under the guarded and cold persona he always wore around him like a shroud.

Lucius, during one of his visits to Spinner's End when she had been there to visit, had actually encouraged her to try and see past the facade that Severus wore most of the time. It had been his idea for her to go into business with the Potions Master.

"There is far more to Severus than most people give him credit for Miss Granger," Lucius had told her when Severus excused had himself to make lunch. "Most people simply see a former Death Eater and recluse. He is what most people want to sweep under the rug while still reaping the rewards for all his sacrifices and good deeds. The tragic part about it is he is more than willing to be swept under and remain forgotten if only for some peace. He deserves far better than that Miss Granger."

Hermione had listened intently to Lucius. She didn't fully trust him, but she knew Severus did. They had been best friends far longer then she had been alive, and he seemed genuinely interested in Severus' welfare. Hermione had put down the tea cup and sighed.

"What can I do? She asked helplessly.

"Exactly what you have been doing Miss Granger. Severus has changed since you decided to strike up this odd friendship. He seems less withdrawn and more inclined towards new ideas. Personally, I am relieved he finally retired from Hogwarts. That place would have been the death of him eventually. Yes, Miss Granger, Severus deserves to live a free life, and one that is of his own choosing. I am sure one day he will achieve this, but he may need some help along the way, and you two seem to be good for each other. I know he has been considering opening up his own apothecary, perhaps you can make it a joint venture? I hear things have not been very appealing for you at the Ministry as of late."

From there a discussion had begun about how much she hated her job at the Ministry and once Severus had returned with tea, Hermione had firmly made up her mind to be a part of whatever Severus was planning. It took her a number of weeks to convince him that she had the proper aptitude business wise, but once he accepted her proposal, she had quit her job at the Ministry and never looked back.

Ron had hated the idea almost from the beginning, but then again, he had always hated Snape for one reason or the another. It only intensified his anger directed at her and Rose. She should have seen this coming.

"Hermione?"

The deep velvet voice she had come to recognise with safety, breached her thoughts making her look up into his dark grey eyes. She was startled to see, they held only warmth.

"Do you trust me?"

_With my life_, she thought but instead let out a soft, "Yes, you know I do."

He reached down and tilted her chin up so they were eye level.

"Then trust me now Hermione. Weasley will get what is due to him in the end, but first I must get you and Rose some place safe. I will be taking you to Spinner's End. Before you even protest," he said holding up a hand. He could already see the look of shame in her eyes. "This is not pity, Hermione. I have a spare room that can comfortably hold you and Rose until you are capable of getting back on your feet. Hopefully, if our business has a good start, that will be soon. Right now you must lower your pride and think about your daughter who is undoubtedly alone, confused, and in need of her mother." Severus said firmly while releasing her chin. He detached himself from her and stood up offering a hand to help her rise. He knew she wanted nothing more than to fall apart, which was understandable, and he would grant her that once they were back at Spinner's End, but right now, he needed her to pull herself together so they could retrieve her daughter.

Resignation crept into the misery that had etched itself into her eyes, and she took the proffered hand and stood, still clutching to her chest the Mother's Day book the children had made for her.

Severus unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around Hermione's shaking shoulders. As they turned away from the burned remains of her home, she didn't even look back once. She led them to the neighbor's house that held her daughter and stood frozen in front of the door, the cloak pulled around her like a shadow.

Severus sighed and knocked on the door. In less than a minute an older witch stood in the open doorway with a sleeping Rose tucked in her arms. Her swollen and tear stained face showed she had fallen asleep while crying. Her thumb was in her mouth and a singed bunny was clasped in her other hand. When Hermione made no move to retrieve her, Severus finally spoke up.

"Madam, my name is Severus Snape, and I am a friend of Miss Granger's. As you can see, Miss Granger is not well and I am sure you can understand why. We have come to collect her daughter so that I may take them both to a safe place where they can recompose."

The older witch clutched Rose more firmly against her. She did not like the looks of this tall and foreboding wizard and was reluctant to release the little girl into his care. She looked from the Severus' guarded face to Hermione's own that was shrouded in a thick dark cloak. Her eyes were expressionless when she met the older woman's gaze.

"I trust Severus Snape with my life, Abby, he is a very dear friend. Rosie knows him as well. Please release her to him. I promise you he will take us someplace safe." Her voice was tired, but also had a steely edge to it that the older witch could not deny.

Abby swallowed hard, but nodded in assent. This was not her child, so she really had no say in the matter.

Reluctantly, she handed over the drowsy girl to the tall, dark figure and was surprised when she saw the small redhead open her sleepy eyes and immediately recognise the Potions Master. "Professor…" she mumbled sleepily before small stubby fingers reached up and curled into his dark locks snuggling closer. She seemed to relax in relief, and fell back asleep in his arms, her scorched bunny clasped between them, her head pressed against his chest.

Severus meanwhile, had pulled a handkerchief out of his robes and transfigured it into a soft blanket before wrapping it around the child, and holding her protectively against him.

His eyes flicked to that of the older witch and he scowled deeply. Did everyone think so little of him that he could not even handle a child? Was he not a teacher for almost 32 years? Ignoring the idiotic woman, he turned to Hermione's lifeless shell and knew he needed to get them to his home, now. Both his charges needed rest.

"Thank you for your time Madam," Severus said with a low sneer, before he took Hermione's arm, and with Rose tucked securely against him, turned and Disapparated them away to Spinner's End.

Abby stood in the doorway and watched them go. She had of course heard of Severus Snape. He was a war hero after all, but he had still been a Death Eater. The thought alaone made her shudder.

_What was Hermione thinking consorting with someone like that, especially with an innocent child?_

She prayed she had made the right choice in letting Hermione and Rose go with the former Death Eater. Whatever happens to them, she could not help but feel partially responsible.

Resignedly, she turned away and shut her door.

_**Author: Master Severus Snape**_


	14. Chapter 14 I Trust You & Comfort of Home

_**A/N: My apologies but the beginning is a short post I missed publishing here. If you have not read the beginning then I invite you to do so. ~etherian**_

* * *

_**I Trust You**_

Hermione hated weeping but the tears were of their own mind. Of course, the ache in her heart did not help. Yet, she was angry. Horribly and terribly angry…

_Linen, freshly laundered by hand…_

_Cut grass just as the season wakened…_

_The soothing, sensual bite of vetiver…_

With the heavy, muted rustle of wool those scents swirled around Hermione to comfort. With them came a strong arm about her shoulders, and a calloused hand stained by decades of potions carding through her curls.

The Potions Master's voice was a tumbling purr in his chest that caressed her cheek where her tears fell. Her ears heard the words of solace, and so she sank deeper into the arms that held her, supported her.

Severus had found her. She and Rose had missed lunch. Her jumbling thoughts suggested she ought to apologise, but anger rose up from the depths of her heart shoving everything else aside.

He hated her! Ron! He had been her best friend. They had fought side by side, and buried their friends together. Hermione had loved him… she was sure she had. That love, though, had faded with the memories of her childhood.

_"There hasn't been a Squib in my family for three centuries, 'Mione!"_

_"That ugly git bastard is no one's friend, Mione, and I forbid you from visiting him! What will our neighbours say?"_

_"How long have you been visiting that bloody git behind my back, you whore? The Squib's his, **isn't she?**"_

With rage the inferno in her belly rumbled and Hermione blurted what the neighbours and she knew, **RON**.

Severus' cool hands cupped her face, fanning the rage down to a low simmer. When the Mother's Day book from her children reminded her it was still in her hand, tears began to trickle down her cheeks again.

Severus swore to make right her loss. In that brief moment had this wizard, this once Death Eater, vowed to kill Ron Weasley, Hermione would not have stopped him. For that she hated Ron. For turning her into a monster she wanted him to hurt as much as he had hurt her.

Tears, the loss, the pain from so many years, along with her anger, flooded Hermione's senses. She arose at his behest and walked beside the wizard of soothing shadow. Severus would handle it.

Apparation tugged nauseatingly at her belly. As her arms wrapped snugly around the wizard's waist Hermione leaned her cheek against her sweet Rose nestled in Severus' arms.

Severus would handle Ron. In this blink of time Hermione did not care one whit what that might encompass. She trusted him.

_**Author: etherian**_

* * *

_Home._

It was a comforting word for Severus. He had only ever known two places he could apply this term to; Hogwarts and Spinner's End.

The first had ceased to feel like home after his abhorrent tenure as Headmaster during the second wizarding war. Though he had come back to teach after the defeat of The Dark Lord, by then the damage had been done. Too many ghosts from the past lingered like the scent of sulfur in every corridor and classroom. Hogwarts felt more like a glass prison rather than a home. Memories plagued him at every turn along with the haunted stares from pupils and staff, old and new alike. It was very evident, that people were uncomfortable around him. Even though he had been cleared of all charges made against him during the war, the general public was not as forgiving. It was an unspoken sentiment at Hogwarts that the Potions Master was clearly unwanted, and most felt ill at ease with his presence looming around the castle. Eventually, it had become too much for Severus to endure, and with Lucius' encouragement, he had retired to Spinner's End to try and heal his shattered life with the balm that only time and peace would allow.

As he Apparated with Hermione and Rose into the sitting room of his home in Cokeworth, he felt an almost instant relief in being around familiar surroundings again. He had spent much of his time in the two years since his retirement, turning his former childhood home into a place he could finally call his own and feel comfortable in. No real remnants remained of the bitter and tumultuous atmosphere that Severus had grown up in, replaced instead by furnishings and personal touches that evoked a different side to the Potions Master. It spoke of Severus Snape the man, not the spy or Death Eater most people assumed. Sadly, it was a side very few people saw. Aside from Harry, Lucius, Draco and occasionally Minerva, or Arsenius, nobody intentionally sought out his company, and in many ways, he was grateful for the peace.

That however had changed when Hermione had re-entered his life last year. She had _deliberately_ sought him out through correspondence. Initially, it was to merely ask for advice on some research she was doing for work, but as time wore on, their letters began to progress to more personal conversation about their lives. When letters became too tiresome to trouble with, he started to invite her for tea on occasion, and without either realising it, this simple gesture planted the tentative seeds of friendship that would later bloom into something more.

Six months after her first letter, she had become a frequent visitor to Spinner's End often bringing some new book or intriguing tea she thought he might like. Though he always made it a point to put up an irritated air around her, he knew that deep down; he looked forward to her visits more than he should have. Her very presence at Spinner's End was becoming far too comfortable for his liking, and every impulse in his mind fought to try and push her away, and yet, he could not find it in himself to do so. He found his home lonelier without the sound of her voice, and was often disappointed when her job at the Ministry, or personal problems kept her away from their weekly visits.

For once in his life he found it refreshing to be able to converse with someone of a like mind who enjoyed similar pursuits and thrived in discussions as he did. He had never encountered anyone like Hermione who could openly challenge him with confidence, and though he enjoyed her company, it also made him face the extremely painful realisation of just how lonely an existence he actually led.

It was probably for this reason he did not offer much resistance when Lucius had first suggested that the two of them should team up and go into business together. It made a great deal of sense in Severus' opinion. Hermione had the brains and patience for conducting the business side to their venture of which he had no tolerance for, especially when dealing with a hateful public. This would leave him free to pursue his dream of research and brewing professionally, thus allowing him to finally use the Masters he had earned so many years ago in his youth. Their individual fortes made for a well balanced partnership, and throwing caution to the wind, he had decided to take the plunge, investing most of his life savings into the venture. It seemed like a perfect and well calculated risk, or so he had thought.

Severus had never expected the problems that would later plague Hermione's life. It had filtered into their fledgling business and spilled over into his own personal life, but there was no way around it. She was his friend, and that would come before anything else. Although his savings was dwindling, he still had roughly a year to go before he would be completely drained. He knew if necessary however, he had rare personal effects and books he could sell, but he hoped it would not come down to that. He would never borrow from anyone, not even Lucius whom he knew would be more than willing, however his stubbornness and pride would never allow it. He may not have much in his life, but he still had his dignity, and he clung to it.

If he could eviscerate Weasley and help Hermione and her daughter get back on their feet, perhaps then they could start to lay down the foundations of their business, but until Hermione was cared for, it was not even a question in his mind. He had cancelled the symposium in Vienna right after she and Rose had left his home earlier in the morning. He knew she would be in no condition to go, especially after what had just transpired with Weasley severing all ties to their daughter. He had an inkling that things would only get worse, and as it usually did; his instincts had served him well.

As Severus made his way up the stairs to the guestroom with the small redhead clinging to him with trust even in sleep, he knew the only concerns in his mind right now were the well beings of the sleeping child in his arms and the troubled young woman lying on the sofa in his sitting room. Nothing else mattered.

_Well, aside from helping Weasley to meet his creator. But like all things in life, that would come in due time._

He entered the guestroom that had formerly been his childhood bedroom and silently thanked Merlin this had been one of the first rooms he had chosen to renovate. Gone were the chipped and peeling walls, dingy rotting floorboards, and metal infirmary style bed. Instead, Severus had chosen to make the room reminiscent of what he had wished for growing up.

The walls were covered in a Tussah silk wallpaper in an oyster color that reminded him of the weathered beach houses he had seen on some of his recent travels. It was light and airy and made up for the dreary clouds that always hung over Cokeworth. The floors were a simple polished pine with two thick crème and coffee colored rugs covering it. One was by the stone fireplace, and the other by the side of the elegantly carved four poster bed that took up the left side of the room. Draco, who had taken a fancy to carving wands for Ollivander while apprenticing with the wandmaker, had used his skills to craft many of the furnishings that now resided in Spinner's End. The bed was a testament to his godson's fine talent. The head and footboards were etched with Elven vines of ivy that trailed its way up the four posters and ended with an intricately carved pinecone. It was beautiful, and Severus had been touched that Draco had taken the time to do such work for him.

The walls by the fireplace were completely ensconced with books from floor to ceiling, and beside it was a crème colored settee on which draped the old quilt his mother had made for him long ago. It was the same one he had covered Rose with the previous night.

Summoning the patched quilt, he gently pulled back the eggshell colored eiderdown on the bed and laid the sleeping child onto the feather mattress. He removed her shoes and socks before tucking the old quilt around her along with the singed bunny she had been holding onto like a lifeline. He resisted the urge to take the fabric bunny and cast a cleansing charm on it, knowing it would probably awaken her. To be honest, the last thing he needed on his hands was a crying child, especially when Hermione was still unstable and in shock.

He pulled the thick eiderdown over the girl, quilt and bunny before lifting a pale hand to smooth back the soft strawberry curls that had fallen over her face.

Anger unlike he had ever known seared through his chest when he thought about what an ungrateful bastard Ronald Weasley was. He had everything Severus had ever longed for; a loving wife to share his life with and a beautiful healthy child. He could not believe Molly Weasley's son, whom he knew had family values instilled into him from the cradle, was just throwing it away because of juvenile stupidity and bias. He had never deserved a witch such as Hermione, and Severus never understood what she saw in Weasley to begin with, but then again it was not his place to say as such. It had never been any of his business.

_Until now._

"My home may not be much, but it is yours as long as you and your mother need it. I will keep you both safe, I swear it."

He did not know why he said the words to the sleeping child. He knew she could not hear them, but he still felt he owed her some kind of reassurance. He knew only too well what it was like to be floundering in the confusion of two warring parents. What the child needed most was to feel safe and reassured. He was not her father or even a distant relative, and his pitiful examples of parenting did not give him much experience, but he would do what he could until Hermione was capable.

Giving her covers one last tuck; he strode to the fireplace, and pulled out his wand. With a flick of his wrist a crackling blaze filled the hearth, spreading its glow and warmth throughout the room. With a final flick toward the large plate glass window by the bed, the sheer ecru drapes shut with a soft swish.

Tucking his wand back into his sleeve, he gave the child one last glance, before opening the door and silently leaving the room.

Rose opened her eyes and stared at the closed door where seconds ago the tall dark wizard had been.

"Daddy is a liar," she quietly told the singed bunny in her arms. "He _is_ a good man, its daddy who's bad….or maybe it's me that's bad. Mummy won't tell me, but I can hear. I know it's 'cause I can't do the things mummy and daddy can do. That's why daddy hates me. I'm not like them, and never will be."

Tears streamed down her face, as she pulled the Professor's quilt more tightly around her. Somehow, even Babbity wasn't making the pain go away anymore.

Severus tiredly ran a hand through his lank hair as he made his way down the stairs. It was only in the past year, that a few silver strands had started to creep into his ebony locks. He saw no sense in trying to charm them back. First, he didn't care since his looks were of no consequence to him or anyone else, and second, he had a feeling he would have more than just a few strands before the year was done.

Reaching the landing, he summoned two glasses and the bottle of Firewhiskey Lucius had given him upon his retirement, and made his way to the stiff figure lying on the sofa.

Hermione was lying curled on her side, the Mother's Day book still clutched in her trembling hands. She was staring silently into the fire without seeing it, her mind miles away. She didn't even notice when Severus sat beside her until she was startled to feel warm hands cup her own and place a glass inside of them She sat up and turned to look into his dark grey eyes. Her heart ached when she saw the unguarded warmth and concern in them.

_When had Ron ever looked at her like that? Even in their closest moments, there wasn't much warmth in his eyes. What a fool she'd been. A young, stupid fool of a girl…._

She lowered her eyes to the drink in her hand.

"I don't like whiskey much," she said more to herself than to the man beside her.

"Actually, I am not that fond of it myself preferring red wines, but it is all I have at the present moment, and you need something to calm your nerves as well as to give you warmth. It is only a finger's worth, not much, but it will help you to relax," he said tiredly as he took a sip from his own glass and leaned back against the worn sofa, closing his eyes.

Hermione took a sip and scrunched her eyes at the bitterness that filled her senses.

"How is Rosie?" She asked as the stinging in her chest gave way to the warmth that seemed to melt into her bones. She leaned back and took another tentative sip.

"As good as can be expected under the circumstances, although I would not go by that alone considering she has not spoken yet. Your daughter is a very intelligent child Hermione. I doubt there is much you can hide from her." He took another sip from his drink before continuing. "She is sleeping at the present moment, or so I believe her to be. Whether she is or not, I do not recommend disturbing her until morning. Just like everyone else, she needs a chance to rest and think. Besides, you will be better prepared to handle her when you have had some proper sleep yourself."

Hermione lifted her fallow eyes to the man beside her and was thankful she had followed her instinct over a year ago, and re-established contact with the former Professor. Ron had been irate and against it from the start and it drove the wedge that was already between them even wider. He had never liked Severus, but it was something she knew she needed to do, even if she could not explain why. At first it had been all formality and protocol, but as their friendship grew, she started to cling to it like a ray of light in her darkened universe.

Severus Snape had always been a prominent figure in her mind, even in her school days. She had never met anyone that matched his intellect and brilliance and it was something she greatly admired. The discovery of his loyalties and sacrifices after the war ended, only raised his status in her eyes. He was a good man and she detested that most people around her still refused to see that. She didn't know where she or Rose would be today if it were not for the wizard that most people said, did not possess a beating heart.

As she finished her drink, her gaze traveled up his form and was surprised at how much younger he looked when he was relaxed. His dark hair fell softly against his cheeks and pooled at his shoulders, a few faint strands of silver, glimmering in the firelight. She felt her breath catch when he parted his lips to moisten them with a brush of his tongue, before he turned his head and opened his eyes. His obsidian gaze met her own, and for a heartbeat, neither took a breath.

Her eyes widened when she realised his eyes were not the black pools everyone claimed them to be, but were in fact grey, a deep, dark charcoal grey that smoldered in the blaze of the firelight. Her breath stopped completely as she felt herself falling into the depths of those charcoal eyes.

Hermione had heard many people talk about instances in their lives where the world stopped and everything came to a standstill, but she had never understood exactly what that meant until this very moment.

Perhaps it was the small amount of alcohol running through their systems, or maybe it was the entire weight of the day that had finally caught up with them, but whatever it was, neither seemed willing to break the connection of the moment by turning away from the other.

Almost without realising it, Severus lifted his hand and ran a calloused thumb softly over her bottom lip, making her close her eyes with a contented sigh.

He took a shuddering breath and stretched his fingers, tracing her delicate cheekbone with the pads of his fingertips before cupping her face. She gently placed her hand over his and leaned into his touch.

"Severus," she whispered, savoring each syllable as it passed through her lips like a fine wine.

Hearing his given name instantly brought him back to reality and he sharply pulled his hand away, as if burned. Vanishing the drinks wandlessly, he stood up and turned away from her, his shoulders stiff.

Hermione was so stunned by the sudden change in his demeanor she flinched unconsciously.

"Severus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean," she stammered unsure of what had just transpired between them.

Severus seemed to be collecting himself before turning to face her. When he did, the warmth was gone from his eyes replaced by the blank and unreadable expression of disinterest that he usually wore. Her heart sank in response.

"Hermione, it is I who is sorry. I should not have taken advantage of you in that way."

Hermione stared at him numbly.

"Severus you didn't do anything. Please, I just.."

"Enough," he said cutting her off. Pinching the bridge of his nose he walked to the hearth and stood in front of the flames, his back to her.

"Hermione, it has been a long day, especially for you. We all need to get some rest. It is difficult for most people to think clearly when their heads are clouded with alcohol and turmoil. I have prepared my room for you. I will be sleeping down here. We will talk more in the morning."

Hermione stood, her body trembling over what had just occurred. She felt frustrated and confused. Perhaps he was right, and all they needed was some sleep to help clear their minds.

"Severus I can't take your room. You've already done so much for Rose and me. I can sleep down here. I know how to transfigure a sofa."

"Hermione, this is my home, and as such, I will ask you to respect my wishes. I will not allow you or your daughter to sleep without a proper bed. Last night was an unusual occurrence, but since you will be here far longer now, I will be taking the sofa until we can arrange for something better. Am I understood?" Even though he still had his back to her, Hermione heard the steel in his voice and knew it was pointless to argue.

"Very well," she said, lowering her head. She was too tired to argue. "I know you don't want to hear this Severus, but…thank you."

With a resigned sigh, she turned toward the stairs and was halfway up when she heard his voice. It was softer now, but there was an edge of darkness to it that made her shiver.

"Weasley will never hurt you or Rose again. I swear this Hermione. Get some sleep; we will speak more in the morning. Good night."

Hermione could only nod in response before continuing up the stairs. She made her way to the guestroom before retiring to Severus' so she could check on her daughter.

Rose had obviously cried herself to sleep. Her pillow was streaked with tears and her thumb was in her mouth. Hermione knew Rose only sucked her thumb when she was deeply insecure, and only in her sleep. It was a habit she had been forever trying to break the young girl of, but she knew under the circumstances they were in, now would not be the right time.

As she leaned over to kiss her daughter, she noticed Rose was clutching the quilt Severus' mother, Eileen had made for him. Severus never allowed anyone to touch that quilt, as it was one of the last few items he retained from his childhood that held any good memory for him. She had been shocked the morning she found her daughter and the Potions Master asleep on the old wingback chair, both covered with the very same quilt. She considered later that since he had been there with her, he knew no harm would come to it, so it had been alright. Seeing her daughter using it now without Severus present, spoke volumes about a man most people considered had a heart of pure granite.

Pulling the quilt tighter around her daughter, she kissed her one last time, and left the room heading for the door she knew to belong to the Potions Master.

Even though her heart and mind were raging with a turbulent stream of emotions, there was one feeling that stood out above everything else. It was something she had not felt since leaving Hogwarts over a decade ago.

As she stepped into the Severus' bedroom and shut the door, she leaned against the heavy mahogany and closed her eyes, savoring the forgotten feeling once again.

_She felt safe._

_**Author: Master Severus Snape**_


	15. Chapter 15 Safe to Sleep

___Safe._

Aloud, Hermione murmured the word, and heard the gentle muffling of sound that draped fabric would cause in… ___the_ Potions Master's room! A giggle, limned by hysteria, escaped her mouth and she clapped her hand over her lips.

A very young part of her, turning away from the horror and revelations of the day, danced as she admitted that ___she_ was in her teacher's bedroom! How often had she heard Lavender Brown or Pavati or even Ginevra Weasley speculating about the various bedrooms of their teachers? McGonagall's was all of Tartan plaid, Sprout had wallpaper of Venomous Tentacula and Devil's Weed, Flitwick, even though an academic, had admitted during a Christmas feast to a partiality towards anything sparkly, and Snape's bedroom, they had decided, was dark and dreary, damp even, with stone walls and "questionable" wall décor.

"Oh good grief!" Hermione's mothering voice chided that imbecilic child of her memories. Then, she looked around.

Firelight cast a flickering glow upon the room, and Hermione stepped hastily towards the welcoming flames, stretching out her hands. The palms warmed, and then she hugged herself. Before thoughts of her ex-husband slipped into her mind she returned to her curiosity over Severus' bedroom.

Male. The décor was dominated by warm oak and dark cherry wood softened by colour of soothing forest and cafe au lait. Just to Hermione's right as she walked in was a highboy of richly carved cherry wood. Ten drawers sported the bas-relief of fauns dancing with Reubenesque maidens, satyrs fighting centaurs, and a familiar procession of Queen Titania and her fae retinue followed by the devilish Puck. Upon the surface of the highboy were those things a gentleman would leave behind when preparing to relax at the end of day: a pair of silver cuff links, three unused, folded handkerchiefs each with the initials ___SS_ embroidered in one corner, and an old, somewhat tarnished looking, pocket watch. Near the fireplace was a wardrobe that matched the highboy. Succumbing to her curiosity Hermione opened one of the doors to see that it was neatly hung with his black robes, his preferred frock coats with trousers, and at least a dozen white shirts of finest brushed cotton. Hermione was surprised to find that Severus had kept his old teaching robes. She could not resist touching the cloth that was imbued with the scents of generations of Potions students. Leaning forward she tentatively buried her nose into a fold of the worn and soft cloth, which elicited another of those annoying girlish giggles.

Hermione shut the wardrobe door sharply and backed away from it and right into the large, four poster bed. Turning, she saw that her progress backward had been impeded by one of the four posts; heavy oak that had been carved with ridges, and deep, twisting gouges, to resemble tree trunks. Over the bed was a network of branches that laced and wove over and under each other. In looking upward towards the artistic canopy she spied the four, nearly hidden faces of the trees — Ents, they were, and Hermione let out a small gasp of joy at seeing the beauty portrayed of one of her favourite of Tolkien characters.

___Could there be anything more wondrous?_

The bed held the mixture of scents she now associated with the Potions Master. Intoxicating, and fresh there was also the smell of just him drifting around her, teasing. Her fingers rose to her lips where his thumb had traced them. There was a burn, a pleasant reminder of promise.

Closing her eyes and leaning back against one of the tree carved posts Hermione could picture Severus' lips. Thin, as he was, but over her year of connecting with him she had learned just how expressive those lips could be. She imagined them touching hers, tentative at first, but as an explorer not as one inexperienced. He would taste of her, and she would partake of him…

Hermione shivered and her eyes flew open. A blush blossomed upon her cheeks and her neck. She could feel the gentle warmth of blood caressing the tops of her breasts.

The bedroom was a place of comfort, of ease, and escape. Moving to the bed itself she slowly lowered herself to the quilted duvet, and sighed as the goose down whispered luxuriously at her approaching weight. Just as she moved her hands down to stroke the velvet dark green surface the Mother' Day book fell from her hand. Not wishing a reminder of that day, or of today, Hermione quickly pushed the book underneath one of the pillows.

Abruptly Hermione felt overly conscious of her intrusive curiosity. To distract herself her hands returned to her dress. It was clean. It was not touched at all by the fire, but she had been. Grimacing, Hermione felt gritty, and sweaty, and realised she was desperate for a bath. A shower would have been quicker, but she really wanted that bath.

Stripping quickly, Hermione became a woman unashamed of her curves and chose not to think of where she was but thought only of the heat of water, and soap, and being clean. Hermione strode towards the door of the bathroom where soon she was sinking into the scented water, a mixture of spices and citrus. Eyes closed she promised to leave exploration of the bathroom for the light of day.

Just as a flame of the day threatened her peace, Hermione quickly switched her mind to their business. She and Severus had yet to discuss Vienna, and perhaps he would much rather concentrate on her and Rosie, but Hermione would not allow it. Time and money, a great deal of money, had been invested and she had viewed the conference in Vienna as the place that would be key to launching their beginning. Severus would introduce his theories, his research, and she would make needed contacts amongst the suppliers of the world.

Hermione smiled. In Vienna she would work and prove her worth to her partner. In Vienna she could forget today. She could forget the smoking remains of Neverland, Ron's rejection of his Squib daughter, and, maybe Ron himself.

The bath was far too short for Hermione's liking but that cosseting bed was a Siren call to her. Wrapping one large towel around herself she used another towel to dry her hair. She knew she ought to use a Drying Charm which tended to tame her hairs more wild nature but she really was too tired. Leaving both towels in the bathroom once she was dry, Hermione sprinted, like Rosie would after a bath, and leaped into the bed. A feather bed that was the softer goose down pouffed around her and cradled her. Over her were three duvets, not the one she had expected. She felt enveloped, and caressed, and comforted as she burrowed deeper amongst pillows and down and velvet.

Despite the scent of Severus wrapping last around her body the burnt out shell of her home rose like an ugly spectre behind the lids of her closed eyes. Drawing a pillow against her breasts and stomach she curled around it. She was unaware of new tears that trickled down her cheeks.

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Author: etherian


	16. Chapter 16 Severus Never Slept

**___A/N: My deepest apologies everyone. I made a big mistake in posting chapters and have now fixed it all. The trouble began with Chapter 14 in which I combined it with a very short, missed chapter. That missed piece is at the beginning so if you have not read it, you might want to. Chapter 15 is Hermione going to sleep in Severus' room. Chapter 16, your new chapter, is Severus Never Slept as he contemplates the day. I then added Chapter 17 as a bonus for all this mix-up. Again my apologies to you, dear readers, and most especially to Master Severus Snape, my writing partner. Please don't hex me, sir._**

* * *

___Severus never slept that night._

Instead the Potions Master retreated to his lab to begin brewing the monthly orders from St. Mungo's It was repetitive and tiring work, but Severus was not about to complain. Brewing for the wizarding hospital was his bread and butter for the moment, and he was not about to bite the hand that fed his family.

Suddenly, the silver knife which had been slicing flobberworms with the grace of a dancer slipped from his slender hand and dropped with a clatter to the worktable. He stood in stunned silence at the words which had formulated in his mind, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

___His family._

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and leaned against the wooden worktable, confusion and fear gripping him. ___How could he think of such a thing?_ ___Where had that thought even come from?_ Hermione and Rose were ___not_ his family. They would ___never be_his family. It was ludicrous and dangerous to form such inane attachments. Hermione was his business partner and friend, nothing more. By helping her and Rose, he was also helping himself to stabilize their fledgling business. To think of them as something more…. well, it was ___ridiculous!_

___Get a hold of yourself Severus! You are simply projecting your own anger at seeing a child go through what you experienced at her age. As for Hermione, you cannot bring your own loneliness and selfishness into this, _Severus chided himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand and held his aching temple in the other. Scowling, he once again picked up the silver knife and began thinly slicing the flobberworms, but it was no use. He simply could not get the vision of Hermione inclining her cheek toward his hand out of his mind. His breathing hitched when he remembered the satiny feel of her bottom lip against his callused fingertip. The fire reflecting in her hazel orbs, as their eyes met and held, or the look of want she gave him…

He took the knife and threw it as hard as he could against the wall where it sparked on contact and fell against the stone floor with an ear-splitting clangour.

Severus took out his wand and cast a stasis charm on the three brewing cauldrons knowing he could go no further that night. He was not in the proper frame of mind to brew, and until he solved some of the problems with Hermione and her daughter, there was no point in even trying. After setting the proper wards on his lab, he retreated to the one place where he could think in solitude for the rest of the night. By the time the early strands of dawn started to creep around the heavy brocade drapes that surrounded the windows of his private study, his mind was determinedly set on its course.

___And no one would be able to dissuade him otherwise._

He stood up, a lone figure in the bleak morning light, his fists clenched at his side, his thin lips drawn into an almost feral scowl, as one thought permeated his mind:

___Weasley would never hurt them again._

As he left his study, he allowed his mind to sift through the memories of the past year that he had tried to push to the back of his mind. Memories he had no right to take offence or do anything against.

___Until now._

As he silently walked to what was now Rose Granger's bedroom, he opened the door and thought about her pariah of a father who was discarding her like an infectious rag. Crossing the threshold, he stood beside the bed like a silent pillar staring down at the innocent redhead he wished with all his blackened heart, was his own. How he would treasure and take care of her! It made no difference to Severus whether or not magic coursed through her veins. Idiot Weasley with his pompous selfishness was blinded to the treasures that lay before him. He had a beautiful, intelligent and loving child whose heart was big enough to encompass even someone as dark as himself. He could feel even without Legilimency, that she trusted and felt safe around him. He would be damned if he ever did anything to break that level of trust with the child. She needed him right now, to take care of her and her mother, and even if it was only temporary, Severus' heart soared with the feeling of being needed and wanted for the right reasons for once. He would do anything to keep Rose and Hermione safe. Once that was done, and he was no longer needed, he knew he would have to let them go. It was part of the cycle Severus Snape had long ago learned to accept about his life; he was only as good as his usefulness, and after that, he was expendable. Albus Dumbledore and The Dark Lord along with many others had made that very clear to him, and it was not a lesson he ever forgot, but for now, he would savour the trust and warmth that exuded from mother and daughter while he could.

___She trusted him and did not believe her father's lies. It was a gift so rare in Severus' life he would have surrendered his very existence to retain it._

Severus reached into his robes and pulled the out the Velveteen Rabbit he had transfigured for her the other night, gently tucking it between the child and her singed bunny Babbity. It was not much, but at the moment it was all Severus had to give. He wanted the girl to know he had been there, and would continue to keep both she and her mother safe.

___He knew he would not be here when she awoke. He hoped she would understand._

Slowly, he bent down to lay a small kiss on the top of her strawberry curls wondering what it would be like to do this nightly. Knowing Weasley had that right, and he did not, made his blood sing all the louder for revenge. Backing away from the child, he quietly walked to the door and slipped out of the room, leaving Rose to continue dreaming in peace.

Severus made his way to his own bedroom where Hermione lay sleeping. He knew he should not disturb her, but his heart ached to see her again, and even though he would never tell her, he was tired of denying it to himself. This long night had been a revelation to him of sorts, and he wanted to come to terms with things before settling matters permanently.

He had spent the better part of his life trapped in his obsessive love for Lily Evans as well as the protection of her son Harry Potter. It was not until after he had given his memories to Potter the night of The Dark Lord's defeat that he realized most of it was a compulsion spurred on by the life debt he owed his father James Potter, from the night he had saved him from the clutches of the werewolf Remus Lupin in the shrieking shack during their youth. That life debt had simply been passed to his son after his death on Halloween night at Godric's Hallow. There had been no doubt that Lily's death had decimated him and torn his heart asunder, but if he was basking in hell, then the life debt he still owed James Potter had locked the gates of his soul and thrown away the keys. Albus Dumbledore had known this, and used it to his great advantage when trying to control him. It was not until the night he had given Harry the tools to finally defeat The Dark Lord, that his life debt had been paid. Once that was done, and the Golden Trio had left him on the floor of the Shrieking Shack to die, he knew he was finally free. The compulsive urge to protect Potter was gone as was the obsessive love that had come to scar his life for the past twenty years. Though he still longed for Lily, his heart could finally let her go.

Unrequited love was the theatrical element that gave birth to legends, songs and great tragedies in life, but it was something Severus Snape never enjoyed or wanted to be a part of, and yet here he was, facing it again.

The worst part was the woman in question was alive and cognizant of him this time around, and someone he interacted with on an almost daily basis. The feelings she had sparked in him had come very slowly, so slowly in fact he didn't quite understand them until they hit him full in the face.

___Like last night._

As he stepped into the room, he was immediately enveloped with her scent, and shut the door quietly leaning against it and breathing deeply. Decadent French milled soap, spicy citrus and something else….. patchouli with a touch of lemon….vetiver! She had used his soaps! The very thought of Hermione rubbing her soft skin with his homemade soap instantly made his body ache in a way he had been denying himself for years. He licked his dry lips and his breathing intensified. He had no right to be in here, and yet, like a moth drawn to a flame, he could not help himself.

___One minute._

He would give himself one minute to see her before he left to take care of business. He still had a few people he still needed to contact in order to secure things, but the main reason for everything was lying directly in front of him.

Did he not deserve to see her even one last time? If he was lucky, it would definitely not be the last, but one could never be too sure.

Slowly, almost painfully, he walked to the side of the ornately carved bed, and stared down at the woman who was gracing___his _side of the bed. She was lying on her stomach, both hands pressed under his pillow. Her beautiful mass of curls was sprawled around her, glinting in the firelight like shimmerlings in a forbidden dance. Her face was peaceful and relaxed as if she was at rest for the first time in a long period.

___Perhaps she was. If so, he had given it to her, and his heart swelled against his will._

How long had it been since he had a woman in his bed? His last coupling had been in his early thirties well before the beginnings of the second wizarding war, and in his home at Spinner's End? ___Never. _His home was a place he allowed only the closest and trusted of people to access and never in his private rooms. Hermione was the first to ever see them. Even Draco, who had carved most of the furniture in the house, had never actually been inside. He had done everything in the sitting room or garden, and Severus had later shrunk and placed them in his rooms privately.

This place was his sanctuary, his only retreat from the outside world, a place where he was not a Death Eater, a hated former professor or even a Potions Master; he was just Severus Snape, a man who enjoyed solitude and peace.

Hermione Granger had intruded upon that very solitude and was now snoring softly in___his_ bed.

___And Severus found he did not mind one bit._

Hermione turned in her sleep, startling Severus who thought she had woken up, but she merely buried deeper under the velvet duvets, pulling his pillow closer and inhaling it.

A small smile ghosted across her lips.

Severus held his breath. Could she be dreaming about him? He tentatively reached out a hand to touch one of her thick curls, and as quickly as hope came, reality struck him like a cold wave slapping over his body. He immediately recoiled his hand, disgusted at his lack of self control.

Who would dream about him? He was an old, washed up, hated professor not to mention the glorious title of former Death Eater and murderer.

___Surely a catch any parent would be proud of._

Remembering the horrid remarks of the two women in Arsenius' apothecary, he forced his body to turn away from the sleeping figure on the bed, and made his way to the wardrobe in the corner, his habitual mask of indifference falling over his tortured expression.

Opening the wardrobe, he pulled out his travelling cloak along with a number of small phials and an extra wand which he stuffed into his frock coat. Clasping the cloak around his thin shoulders, he turned to quickly exit the room when something made him stop right before reaching the door.

As if frozen in time, he did not move for almost a full minute before turning around and making his way back to the side of the bed. His gaze travelled over the curled up figured nestled in his bedclothes and images of her throughout the past year flickered through his mind.

They were many and varied, but he remembered each one like a painted portrait in time. Hermione laughing or smiling over a new article he had shared or perhaps the jubilant look in her eyes when she discovered something new as they were conducting experiments. The softness in her eyes when she spoke about her children as well as the understanding when he dared to open up about something personal. Mixed in with everything were fear, loathing, shame and anger which he now knew was attributed to Weasley. He remembered the glamours she wore to cover up tiredness or bruises as well as the way she had resigned herself in many ways. Before, it was not his place to say or do anything about it, but that had now changed.

It had changed when she finally trusted him enough to tell him about her daughter. Yes, it hurt that she did not choose to tell him sooner, only doing so after Weasley had cut them off, but he knew Hermione would only do this if she had reason to, and it was more than likely to protect her daughter because she was a Squib. She had often talked to him about Hugo, but Rose was a secret she had kept very well until only recently, and with Weasley's reaction, he now had a feeling he understood why.

It had changed when Rose had placed her trust in a man that she did not even know many people despised and wanted dead. Her trust in him had awoken a long buried need to feel wanted and needed again. ___To feel human._

It had changed when Hermione had looked at him with eyes that stirred a want in him he had long ago considered dead.

It had changed when Rose had declared he was a ___good man._

It had changed the second Weasley had chosen to give up his wife and daughter.

Severus narrowed his dark eyes before coming to a decision. Leaning over, he gently brushed his thin lips across the top of her umber curls, inhaling her delicious scent mixed with his soap before whispering softly in her ear:

_So often I wonder in my own space,  
Unable to make my own selection,  
Like a sarcophagus without a face,  
Wrapped in family cloth of protection._

Is my life written in the stars above,  
Am I capable of changing its course,  
How I wish that I am just like a bird,  
Flying off to sweet freedom in full force.

I lived without a life for far too long,  
The time to unleash my dreams in my sleep,  
Let me serenade you with my sweet song,  
You know quite well I'm no more yours to keep.

_All these can only be fulfilled with time,  
Till then I shall wait for the stars to shine._

Moving away, he quickly turned on his heel, and without a backward glanced, exited the room without a sound.

The rush of green in the room was sudden and quick.

Harry Potter grasped his wand from under his pillow and shoved it in the direction of the fireplace. Nobody had the ability to break the wards on his floo….nobody except…..

Grabbing his glasses off the bedside table his green eyes locked with the deep obsidian that was seared into his memory for life.

He lowered his wand.

"Severus, what are you doi….,"

Before he could say a word Severus had cast a silencing charm and body bind on him, and all he could do was lay helpless on his bed staring at his former teacher in shock.

Severus strode to his bedside and gave him a pitying glance.

"You should never lower your wand Potter. Surely all your years at Hogwarts taught you something valuable. How you became an auror, I will never know. ___Constant vigilance." _Severus sneered as he accioed a chair and sat down next to the helpless man.

Severus pocketed his wand but never dropped his gaze from the emerald as if searching for something. Harry felt he was going to lose his mind until finally he heard the deep voice that had been a part of his life in both good and bad ways, since he was eleven year of age. The coldness that seeped into each word was terrifying.

"You know why I am here Potter. ___Weasley."_

With that one word, he knew his best friend of twenty years was a dead man.

* * *

_**Author: Master Severus Snape**_


	17. Chapter 17 Breakfast

**__********___A/N: My deepest apologies everyone. I made a big mistake in posting chapters and have now fixed it all. The trouble began with Chapter 14 in which I combined it with a very short, missed chapter. That missed piece is at the beginning so if you have not read it, you might want to. Chapter 15 is Safe to Sleep - Hermione going to sleep in Severus' room. Chapter 16 is Severus Never Slept, as he contemplates the day. I then added Chapter 17 as a bonus for all this mix-up. Again my apologies to you, dear readers, and most especially to Master Severus Snape, my writing partner. Please don't hex me, sir._**

* * *

**__****Breakfast**

Hermione woke slowly. She knew where she was and it was far beyond comfortable in this bed. A small part of her wanted to pull the duvets over her head to blot out the entire world, but she had Rosie to think of. The young mother smiled; she had Rosie.

A prick of her ears caught the tell-tale sound that the little seven year old was already up. As Hermione sat up in Severus' bed she wondered how Rose was. Was she traumatised by the fire? Did she even remember the fire? With a grim line to her lips she recalled she still had yet to tell Rose that her father had severed all ties to her.

With sudden need, and curiosity, Hermione pushed the covers from her, automatically grasped the heavy, dark green velvet dressing gown at the foot of the bed, and put it on. She propelled herself towards the door and nearly tripped over the length of the dressing gown. Cursing, yet giggling as she realised the robe was not hers, but Severus', she picked up the front of the hem and left the room.

Quietly Hermione tip-toed to her daughter's room and peeked in. The little girl was seated Indian-style cross-legged on her bed with Babbity and the Velveteen Rabbit facing her.

Rose was talking earnestly to the two stuffed toys. "…a long time but he's not like daddy always used to say he was. Professor Snape smells like soap made with spring and I know bad guys don't smell like they take a bath at night. Isn't that right, Elly?"

Hermione smiled as she realised that Rose had named the Velveteen Rabbit Severus had given her. She continued to listen.

"Elly's been taking care of Professor Snape like you take care of me, Babbity, and 'cause he wants me to know we're all right, he gave me Elly. And, Professor Snape is going to make everything all right since we don't have a home anymore." Rose let out a sad sigh, picked up Babbity, and gave his cloth worn cheek a kiss. She stroked his singed ear and the smudges of soot on his body. "You're just a right old mess, Babbity. Maybe mummy can fix you like she did when that dog Cupcake took you on adventure. 'Member? That's how you lost your red nose and one of your eyes? Mummy fixed that."

Hermione stepped into the bedroom. "Good morning, Rosie."

Rose's face brightened and she stood on the bed so she could throw herself into her mother's arms. Hermione gasped at the weight of her child but then snuggled her close. Rose allowed the embrace only for so long before she was wriggling away and stepping across her bed to pick up the Velveteen Rabbit.

"This is Elly, Mummy," she smiled. "Elly's been taking care of Professor Snape 'cause he's been lonely but now that we're here he isn't so she's with me."

"How sweet of Elly!" Hermione beamed back at her daughter. "Babbity approves, does he?"

Rose nodded, and picked up the floppy rabbit and held it towards her mother. She did not know Babbity reflected how Hermione's heart felt at the loss of hearth and home. "Can you fix him with magic?" She leaned forward and whispered, "He's kinda messy and smells funny."

Hermione took Babbity and sat down on the edge of her daughter's bed. She brought the stuffed animal to her nose, sniffed, and wrinkled it in distaste. "Ohhh he does smell smoky, doesn't he, Rose?" She stroked the stuffed rabbit. Rose had loved Babbity even before she had learned to speak at age two. The animal's once fuzzed surface of fur was worn away by being cuddled countless nights until Babbity was now smooth somewhat satiny cloth held together by straining stitches that Hermione had fixed numerous times with magic.

Rose watched with interest as her mother withdrew her wand, cast Scourgify, and the dirt lifted away. Another charm had the stuffed rabbit smelling like sprigs of pine, and a final charm had fixed the damaged ear. Hermione handed over the rabbit and Rose hugged Babbity tightly to her chest. She drew in an exaggerated, yet appreciative breath, of Babbity's scent.

"I'm sorry I didn't fix him for you last night, sweetheart," sighed Hermione. The smoking ruins of her house flitted across her thoughts painfully and she tried to close her eyes against them.

Rose patted her mother's forearm. "It's all right, Mummy. Your heart was breaking."

"Oh, Rose!" Hermione sighed and sniffed at an errant tear as she looked down at her daughter at her side. "Aren't you heart broken, too?"

Rose's brow beetled thoughtfully, then she replied, "My heart aches because all my drawings and paintings are gone and your books are all gone, too, but isn't it good that we still have each other?"

"You are such a wise girl, Rosie Athene," smiled Hermione with pride as she kissed Rose's cheeks. "It is best that we have each other. We'll be able to replace everything else."

Rose slipped off her bed, grasped Elly and Babbity, and started out of her room, "Okay but don't replace your ugly jeans."

For a moment Hermione stared in humour injected shock at her disappearing child and what she'd said. Her jeans certainly had not been as flattering as they were when she had been a teenager (bubble-bum, anyone?), but they had been comfortable. Maybe that was a bit of youth she could let go?

Pushing herself up off the bed, she lifted the hem of the dressing gown again, and followed Rose.

Upon reaching the sitting room, which appeared empty of any Potions Master, a note popped into being just in front of Hermione's nose. She snatched at it, and read it.

___Hermione,_

___Please help yourselves to breakfast. Personal business takes me away this morning, and possibly part of the afternoon._

___I found something in the attic that I think Rose might like to have and so I have put it in the library._

___Please make yourselves at home._

___Sincerely,_  
___Severus_

Hermione was curious about what might be waiting for Rose in the library, but breakfast was calling. Ushering Rose into the kitchen they both found the larder and a variety of foods to indulge in for breakfast. Rose found a loaf of homemade pumperknickel and honey-butter. She was indulging in her third piece when knife, butter, and bread were all taken from her. Rose, scowling, watched as all three items lifted above her and washed themselves, and then put themselves away at the flick and swish of her mother's wand.

"I can see that Severus' bread is going to be as much a weakness as your Grandmother Molly's pastries are, dear girl," admonished Hermione lightly.

"I thought bread's supposed to be good for you," Rose objected.

"It is not good when you slather it in butter and jam." Hermione snatched the third slice, and at a small cry of indignation, took a bite out of it. "Eat some of the fruit, Rose."

* * *

If Severus had not ever shown her his secret Hermione would never have known about the beautiful library within the home at Spinner's End. The sitting room was a place one could put aside the worries of the day and relax. The built-in bar that held brandy, a select few liquours, and Severus' favourite Fire Whiskey (which Hermione had been tempted into drinking once, never again, thank you very much) was the key to the library.

A tap of her wand to three different bottles popped open a wall behind the bar that led into the library. Hermione had thought the hidden wall was whimsical and her curiosity those few months ago had begged a question.

_"____Why hide the library, Severus?" she had asked. "I would build a house around a library," she added a touch dreamily._

___Severus smirked slightly. "A romantic notion, perhaps, but my library contains scrolls and tablets from a period of wizard history that the Ministry frowns upon. Not to mention that my collection of the Dark Arts is nearly a rival to that of Lucius' collection."_

_"____Even now you must hide your books?" Hermione asked worriedly. She bent forward slightly to look askance at the shadowed opening._

_"____I do not fool myself into believing that with the end of the Dark Lord the Ministry would become lax in their ideas of what is legal and what is not, Hermione," he intoned stiffly. _

_"____Is a portion of your library illegal, Severus?" Hermione's question was a bit judgemental, so Severus had thought._

_"____Nothing… in there," he pointed towards the opening in the wall, "would be considered illegal. Questionable, perhaps, but not illegal. It was only later that Hermione had recalled the wizard's pointed hesitation when answering her question and she wondered then as she still did, where Severus had hidden that part of his library the Ministry would mark as forbidden._

_"____Still, the hidden wall is quaint, Severus, but I think you'd never do anything in your house out of whimsy," said Hermione deflecting any more thought on whether anything was legal or not._

___Severus frowned and with an impatient wave of his hand he ushered her through the wall. "This was not always a library, Hermione. It was a bolt-hole I had created during the worst of times." He felt there was no need to mention that those times had been during the war. After all, they had both suffered and each retained their scars. Hermione would always have Bellatrix's little souvenir carved into her forearm since the epithet was a curse scar, and further scarring from Dolohov during the Battle in the Department of Mysteries - that imbecilic rescue effort by the then Dunderhead-That-Lived. (His view upon Potter these days had changed to a more benign one since being named godfather to Potter's twins.) Severus pushed such thoughts away and continued, "It was unfortunately discovered by that rat Pettigrew when the Dark Lord saddled me with him."_

___Hermione's gasp of appreciation ended the trip down memory lane for Severus._

As it did each and every time she visited the library at Spinner's End Hermione was taken aback by its splendour.

The library had originally been a bolt-hole, barely big enough for a full grown man to wait for danger to pass beyond the wall. Severus had expanded that space to stretch the length of the house. Tall bookshelves crafted by Severus from scented pine planks that Draco had plied his fledgling carvings on lined the middle of the highly polished, wooden floor. Light came from six floor to ceiling arched windows made up of squared pieces of glass; most that were transparent but here and there one pane would flash with the tint of red, green, blue, orange, and other colours. Two roll-top desks sat at either end of the library flanked each by two low-sitting, plush chairs upholstered in a deep green velvet.

Hermione looked for the gift Severus had left while Rose wove dizzingly around each of the tall shelves. It was not until she reached the windows that the witch saw what had been left for her girl. Rose already stood, mesmerised in front of it.

In front of one of the tall windows there was an easel complete with a large piece of paper on it. Beneath the paper were brushes, and tubes of watercolour paint, and charcoal pencils.

"Is Professor Snape an artist, too, Mummy?" asked Rose excitedly.

Hermione spied another note just above the blank piece of paper. She took it off and read it. She then smiled. "It's for you, Rose. A gift from Severus. His note says that it once belonged to him when he was your size but he has not used it in ages." Hermione wondered when the Potions Master had last been able to draw something. "He also said in his note that he hopes you'll paint something for him to hang in the sitting room."

Rose clapped her hands and did a little jig. Hermione laughed, and breathed a sigh of relief as she moved to sit in one of the window seats that were part of the tall windows. It was then, with the morning sun streaming down through the windows upon them, that Hermione allowed her thoughts to stray to her ex-husband. Her lips thinned in restrained anger as she wondered to herself when the affable, Gryffindor redhead, her best friend, her beau of her teenage years, her lover then husband, had become a bitter, destructive, and hateful man.

* * *

_**Author: etherian**_


	18. Chapter 18 You Know Why I am Here

"You know why I am here Potter. ___Weasley_."

Dark grey and emerald locked in a silent battle of wills as Harry lay silenced and bound under the Potions Master's spells for what seemed like hours, but was actually minutes, before Harry Potter finally lowered his green eyes in defeat.

A victorious smirk crossed Severus' features as he pulled out his wand.

_"____Finite Incantatem."_

Harry immediately winced as feeling came back into his arms and legs. He slowly sat up rubbing his legs to bring back circulation before turning glaring eyes to the dark wizard smirking at him.

"Did you have to do that? You know I would have listened to you. I am just as furious at Ron as you are. Maybe more so," Harry said as he picked up his wand and and shrugged on his dressing robe. Having his former Professor seeing him in his pyjamas was still an uncomfortable experience, especially at thirty one years of age.

"I highly doubt that Harry. You have not seen first hand what he has done to his ___former _wife and daughter," Severus sneered with unmasked venom dripping from each word.

Harry winced slightly knowing full well the fate of any idiot who dared to intentionally harm someone Severus cared about. All he had to do was remember his own mum to understand.

Harry gave a resigned sigh. He wished his wife was there to help him, but she was overseeing the final editing of the morning edition of the story concerning the destruction of Hermione's home. Luna Potter always had a way of seeing through people and speaking to them in a calming manner, even Severus Snape much to her husband's astonishment. It was something he deeply loved about her.

To think he almost ended up married to Ginny Weasley made him want to wretch. He shuddered to even think about being remotely connected to Ron in any way, especially now. If it were not for Molly and Arthur and the others of their brood, he would have divorced himself from the Weasleys years ago.

Standing up, he motioned for Severus to follow him, and the two wizards made their way through the familiar halls of Grimmauld Place, stopping only to check on Harry and Luna's two sons who were roomed together. Remus Lorcan Potter and Severus Lysander Potter were lying on their respective bunks sleeping soundly in their usual positions. Remus had his body halfway out of the bed and was snoring slightly, his pale blonde hair askew on his pillow. He had always been a wild sleeper; it was one reason they put the ten year old on the bottom bunk.

Harry walked quietly into the room to reposition his son. He pulled the soft cotton duvet securely around his shoulders and kissed him softly on the head before turning his attention to his dark haired twin lying on the top bunk, a book sprawled open across his chest.

Severus Lysander was the eldest of the twins, but only by two minutes. Severus loved to use that to his advantage however, and somehow Remus always seemed to agree. Even though the twins had polar opposite personalities, Remus being the energetic, humorous and sociable one of the two, Severus balanced it out with his quiet, intelligent and often thoughtful ways. The two were very close and enhanced each other's best traits. They were doing extremely well in their studies and both were excited to attend Hogwarts next year.

___Harry and Luna could not have been more proud._

As Harry gently pulled the book from Severus' hands, he heard the boy's namesake sniff loudly behind him. Harry rolled his eyes as he moved aside to lay the book on the shelf beside the twin's beds and was not surprised to see Severus Snape, former Death Eater and spy ___retucking both_ his godsons in their bunks, and smoothing their hair from their brows with a gentleness that few would believe the man possessed.

Somehow in the older wizard's opinion, he never did it correctly, even though he was their ___father_. Harry shook his head thinking again for the umpteenth time how the Potions Master would have made a wonderful father if just given the chance.

The kind of father he ___wished _he had growing up. The kind he ___tried _to be now.

Finally, assured that both boys were secure and safe, (Harry knew his paranoia came from the war. He often checked on his children several times throughout the night. Luna thankfully understood and never stopped him.) the two wizards made their way to the cosy and bright kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

Luna had definitely let her personality shine through when renovating Sirius' old ancestral home. Gone were the dark walls, and thanks to Severus' help with unsticking charms, so were the screaming portraits and mounted house elf heads. In their stead were colours, textures and relaxing but unique furnishings. _'____Spots of colour'_ in a dreary landscape Luna had said, and Harry agreed wholeheartedly.

The two wizards now sat opposite each other at the wide oak table, (both Luna and Harry had decided to leave it as a silent tribute to the Order of the Phoenix) a small tea laid out between them.

Harry rotated his cup of Darjeeling between his fingers, while Severus sat and stared at his own steaming liquid, his dark eyes lost in thought. Finally Harry could bear the silence no longer.

"Hermione and Rose are safe? I assume they are with you?"

"Yes."

Stretches of uncomfortable silence passed before Severus finally spoke. Harry was surprised to hear the sound of defeat and hurt in Severus' voice.

"You knew about Rose?"

Harry's lips formed a thin line of disapproval before he spoke.

"Hermione told me before we lost contact, before Ron pushed us out of ___both _their lives. I am not proud of giving up on my best friends Severus, but they ___both _made it clear many years ago they did not want Luna or I in their lives. We chose to respect that. Perhaps it was a decision that was made too hastily. I had no idea Ron had as much power over Hermione as he did. If I had known…."

Severus saw Harry's hand tremble in anger. Perhaps the boy was truly ignorant. Had he not been himself? One year had passed and he saw Hermione with Glamours covering bruises and tiredness. Was he any better than the man in front of him? Did he not also choose to ignore Hermione's warning signs because it was not his place to say anything? It was a wizarding rule of thumb that Severus was starting to see was totally inadequate.

___Friendship should have come first._

Severus downed his tea in three gulps and raised his charcoal grey eyes to the emerald before him. They may not be considered close friends, but they understood each other in many ways most would not. Severus had shared his deepest, darkest memories with the man in front of him and Harry could have shown them to anyone, or traded them for enormous amounts of gold, but instead he had chosen to return them after he was released from St. Mungo's and had also insisted, against Severus' wishes, to take a wand oath to never share them with anyone. Not even with the two other members of the golden trio.

___Severus never forgot this._

Harry and Luna had welcomed Severus into their lives and given him a second chance to actually experience what it was like to be a part of a family. Over the years, the former enemies had learned mutual toleration and respect for one another, enough that Harry and Luna had made Severus godfather to ___both _their children, as well as making one of them his namesake.

Harry had done it not only in honour of the man who had protected him his whole life, but also because he wanted a piece of Severus Snape to go on, even if it was not in blood. Luna had not only agreed, but welcomed Severus into their family with both arms wide open, something he was sure Ginny would never have done if he had married her.

Ron had never forgiven him for making Severus godfather to his children over him, nor for marrying Luna instead of his sister. Their friendship had been irreparably damaged over a decade ago, and though he missed his old friend at times, he never once doubted his decision in making Severus a part of his family's lives, especially since the twins loved him dearly.

Harry cleared the tea things away while preparing to ask Severus the question he knew he needed answered before he could help the man in front of him in any way. Though he trusted Severus with his life and those of his family, he wasn't sure what was going on where Hermione was concerned. He knew Severus had been working with Hermione over the last year and a half, and suspected that the two had gotten closer over time, but he and Hermione and had been out of touch for so long, that he only knew what was going on in her life through information Severus chose to share with him or news reports he happened to hear about at the Ministry.

Looking now into the dark eyes that had been the bane and hope of his existence for so long, he knew he needed to choose a side, and whatever decision he made, whether or not to help Severus with whatever plan he had, he would have to abide by his decision with a clear conscience and soul.

___He just needed the answer to what he had already suspected for some time._

"Severus, do you love her?"

Harry knew he could have been instantly killed for this question. As much power as he had, he knew he was no match for the dark wizard in front of him. Regardless of that, Harry needed to know, because he only wanted what was best not only for the man he considered to be a father in many ways, but also for his ___former _best friend. He owed it to both of them to make the right decision. He also did not want to see Severus hurt in any way.

___He had to know._

Severus did not answer for a long time. He stared into the depths of the fire behind Harry for so long, Harry though he had forgotten the original question.

Clearing his throat , Harry was about to speak again when he heard the faint answer. It was so soft the most fragile sway of a spider's web would have prevented him from hearing it.

"Yes."

Harry___knew _this was a crucial moment in Severus' life. It was a marker in the change of direction. If Harry so much as breathed a word of recognition, it would have been over, but Harry was smart enough to know how to accept the information with grace and file it away without acknowledgment. It was part of the understanding between the two wizards that had taken almost two decades to build.

___He knew everything he needed to know._

Harry folded his hands on the table, and eyed the Potions Master, and godfather of his children with confidence. He trusted this man more than any other person in his life aside from his wife. Whatever Severus needed, he would help him, if it was within his ability to do so.

"Alright, tell me in full detail what that prat has done to Hermione, including anything I may have missed. You know you have my help Severus, as long as I don't end up in Azkaban. My children still need direction, even though your namesake thinks he can do well without it."

Severus' lips curved up in a faint smile for the first time since entering the Potter household.

Lucius Malfoy was sitting at his ornately carved roll top desk in the grand library writing out his itinerary for the etiquette lessons he was giving to a particular female persuasion in his life, when the room flared green.

___Nobody could break his wards except…_

As the forms of Harry Potter and Severus Snape stood before him, he laid down his quill, with the dignity passed down through many generations of blackmail and deceit.

Steel grey eyes met those of charcoal grey and emerald.

_"____What took you both so long?"_

_**Author: Master Severus Snape**_


	19. Chapter 19 Hugo

___Rose was lost in her painting for her professor; a pleasant pastime for the child. Hermione, though, had tried to read but memories of the past intruded and soon she sat in stony silence in the window seat appearing to read, but she was else-when._

"Mumma!" Hugo tapped Hermione's nose with his pudgy fingertips then clapped his hands together in delight. Hermione laughed with her son.

"Very good, Hugo!" Hermione lightly tapped the toddler's nose with her index finger. This was a game that could go on for an hour. It was one of the many bright sunbeams in her day that the witch treasured.

Hugo would be three years old in a few months. He could walk with the deliberate grace of an aware toddler. Hugo had what Hermione thought was an adorable habit of checking for whatever might be behind him before dropping down to sit and play.

Hugo, a beautiful rendition of his father, did not have Ron's button nose, but Hermione's more refined and aristocratic nose. His hair was the Weasley colour but it was a riot of curls that would make the girls all swoon in his later years.

Mother kissed her son's warm and cherubic cheeks as he tapped her nose again in their game. Hermione, when she thought about it, could not recall a time when Hugo did not smile or giggle. He was a happy baby, and an engaging toddler. And yet, in her most shadowed moments she admitted to a touch of jealousy of the little boy for he held more regard in his father's eyes than did his big sister, or Hermione herself.

"Dadda! Dadda!" Hugo clapped at the sound of Apparation on the doorstep, the clomping of large feet, and Hermione sighed sadly at the end of their game as Ron burst into the house. Without a greeting for his wife, Ron scooped up his son and swung him about the living room. Hugo squealed with joy.

"How's dadda's big boy?" asked Ron as he drew the toddler close into his arms and peppered his cheeks with kisses. "I'm hungry, 'Mione," Ron cast somewhat towards his wife. "Fix me something." Sitting down where Hermione and Hugo had been a few minutes before Ron began to murmur, almost as if telling a secret, into Hugo's ear.

Ron had been gone for several months during the training season with his team the Hissing Hottentots yet he never greeted Rose who sat silently beside Hermione at the table as they ate. Rose's blue eyes were narrowed as she crouched in her chair and watched her little brother, in her father's lap, slap at his father's plate of food. Hermione ate, but the roast, the potatoes, the vegetables might as well have been no more than ash since that is what she tasted.

Long after night fell and Hermione had read a story to Rose while Ron was busy putting Hugo to bed, the witch slipped into their marital bed and tried to turn on her side away from her husband. Ron slapped her rear, startling her, and then he was upon her; hands, feet, lips, even teeth. When the covers tangled around his legs Ron cursed and Vanished them.

In bed, fumbling in the dark, his teeth narrowly missing injury to her lips Ron drove himself like a hammer into Hermione. His grunts always reminded Hermione of the baboons in the London zoo, and once she had made the mistake of laughing at Ron. She remained silent, nearly still, and unaroused. Ron pinched, slapped, and squeezed until he finished and pushed away. So many times had this happened that Hermione simply turned on her side, and curled up. It did not matter to her that tears trickled onto her pillow.

The memories sped backwards to other nights that had been similar. Ron had never had much finesse as a teenaged boy, and as an adult he had even less.___Perhaps that is why his whores are so many_, thought Hermione as she looked into the bathroom mirror and applied the Glamour she had long since perfected. The black eye Ron had given her after their argument at dinner was blended away along with other cuts and bruises littering her body.

"You're getting old, 'Mione," Ron had told her over breakfast. "You're dry as a bone." He had continued to claim that she had given him a rash on his 'bits'. Hermione made a note to replenish her store of Healer Amadine's Lady's Secret Potion; a potion that took care of anything she might have caught from Ron's whores.

___In Severus' library Hermione lay down her book and turned her body in the window seat so she faced the view out of the arched window. She was still caught in those memories. She felt helpless as her mind whirred over the past and knowing what was to follow these memories, her heart sank._

—-

That morning Ron had kissed his son farewell as he left for another few months of spring training. Feeling a sense of relief that Ron was now gone, Hermione doted on her children that morning. She revealed to Rose that the little girl would get the day off from school. As she fixed a generous lunch that Molly would enhance with some decadent pastry they were soon bundled off to their grandmother.

Once truly alone Hermione would retreat to her bedroom in the established routine and remove her clothing to stare at the shameful bruises from the night before. Dark shadows on her hips and pelvis, a long and rather vicious scratch she could not recall getting swept a red streak across the old scar on her abdomen; the one Dolohov had given her in the Department of Mysteries. Her breasts, her shoulders, and upper arms had suffered beneath her husband's rough touch. Just as her breasts had been tender during both her pregnancies, they were now tender with pain. Even so Hermione could not stop her finger-tips from ghosting over the now generous, and slightly sagging flesh that had nourished her babies.

In school Hermione had been as flat as a board, and as embarrassed, too. There were too many Gryffindor girls who had a pleasing shape; a shape she had long coveted. It was not until she was pregnant with Rosie that the curves had come. Ron had enjoyed the growing of her hourglass figure before the pregnancy had shown. He had delighted in the cushion of flesh on her hips, a more shapely bum, and the attention that he had given her breasts had been gentle and divine.

After Rosie, her figure had remained and Hermione had kept her curves in a healthy and pleasing state. Just as Ron enjoyed, then, touching her every chance he got, she too, enjoyed the softness of her skin, the roundness of her breasts, the slight roundness of a belly. If anything a new awareness of her own sensuality had been awakened.

Until Ron had discovered his daughter was a Squib. The upswell in their marriage had not just dulled back to the faded image it had been but it had crashed. Their arguments were often, and long, and loud. They no longer made love on a whim but had sex… in the dark. And, it was rough, shameful. Why she, a capable witch, never hexed his bollocks off, she could not say.

Seeing those bruises so starkly reflected back at her, the tears came. Hermione did not brush them away but let them fall as she applied the Bruise Paste. When she lifted her wrist to tend a terrible bruising of the flesh, and winced at the bone that ached in kind, she discovered there was no more Bruise Paste in the jar.

Hermione really did not think as she dressed in a light dress for that summer day. It was enough that the sleeves were long and covered the injured wrist. A Cooling Charm allowed her a bit more comfort for the day. With a last check of her Glamour to be sure it hid the dark circles under her eyes and the bruises she could not hide, she left her home.

Slug & Jigger's Apothecary mostly sold ingredients, and supplies, including the Potions Kits that were used by students at Hogwarts. Arsenius Jigger did carry a few pre-made potions and he had the Bruise Paste that Hermione preferred. There was a new apothecary in Hogsmeade but many of their potions were cosmetic in nature and were overwhelming in the perfume used to scent them.

As she entered the old shop Hermione drew in an appreciative breath to savour all the scents, both good and odd, that was the apothecary. She enjoyed the purity and the old world quality of the shop. She also liked Mr. Jigger who still greeted her with a smile after all of these years.

"I'll be right with you, Mrs. Weasley," called Arsenius from the counter where he was dealing with a tall wizard hidden in dark robes and a generous hood.

"Thank you, Mr. Jigger," she smiled in return. It was the first genuine sign of warmth about her since she woke that morning.

Happy to be just browsing Hermione grimaced appreciatively at the cockroach carapaces, sniffed the fresh mint, and eyed new bottles of standard household healing and cleaning potions.

"Hermione?"

Hermione lifted her head suddenly and found herself looking into the dark gaze of her old Potions professor. Of course she was corresponding with him; he had been such a great help when she had to gather research on an obscure potion that had been discovered by the Aurors at a crime scene some months back. That task was over but they had continued writing. Hermione had kept it as one of those things she kept to herself; her treasures.

She had not expected to see him, ever, but her heart fluttered as she looked up into his gaze.

He was as tall as she remembered, which reminded her how often Ron complained that she was too short to kiss. His eyes were intense, but his mouth, often so severe and ready to toss a caustic word towards a student, was relaxed as he beheld her. She nearly missed registering that the slight flutter in her heart has rippled its way down to her belly.

"Severus! I'm so pleased to see you after all the letters we have written. What brings you into Diagon Alley?" As if she were writing Hermione could even feel the subtle and carefree flow of her speech. And, she was genuinely pleased to see her friend's face.

"Boomslang skin," he smirked. There was a knowing glint in his dark eyes and Hermione blushed as both recalled Hermione's own experience with Boomslang skin in her second year at Hogwarts. "The potion you initially wrote to me about had me re-thinking the formulation for Skele-Gro. A rather painful potion, as I'm sure Potter told you?"

Hermione nodded. "Oh yes! Ron himself has complained more than once about Skele-Gro and having to use it to heal the many breaks he deals with." She missed the slight scowl on Severus' face at the mention of her husband since his face was still mostly shadowed by the hood of his summer robe. "How will you use Boomslang skin in Skele-gro?"

Hermione forgot about her Bruise Paste and before either of them knew it, they were sharing tea on the patio of a new cafe in Diagon Alley. They discussed Skele-Gro, and other potions, new advances in potions brewing, and a paper that Severus was hoping to publish later in the year with ___Ars Alchemica_.

Loathe to end the afternoon in such remarkably pleasant company Severus had invited Hermione to his home where he learned that her cooking was below sub-par. Hermione did not mind the Potions Master's acerbic comments on her lack in cooking skills when his curry was perfect.

That evening, Hermione went home, with her children in tow, with a full stomach and feeling more alive within the presence of another adult than she had felt in a very long time. It was a feeling she wanted again. She never told Ron about her weekly visits, and never did she once regret the secret of this particular treasure.

Three weeks later Hugo had yawned in the middle of lunch and complained of a headache. Hermione knew all the standard home pediatric Diagnostic Spells and so she had cast each one over the little boy before his noonday nap. Hugo was patient, singing a song about a dragon loved by a little boy under his breath. The Diagnostics were all negative so Hermione decided that Hugo was just tired and tucked him into bed and cast a Baby Bumper Charm to erect a cushion around the bed so he would not fall off.

When evening came Hermione brought her two children into her and Ron's large bed where she read to them about Owl, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger, too. Rosie had fallen asleep so Hermione just tucked the little girl in where she was. She was about to do the same with Hugo, but he asked for his own bed in a sleepy voice. Hermione kissed his forehead, picked him up, and carried him to his room.

Hermione tucked Hugo into his small bed with his green blanket with purple dragons on it, and the pillow shaped like a red Hebridean Dragon under his head. Both blanket and pillow had been a gift from his Uncle Charlie when Charlie had learned about the small boy's love of dragons. She then cast the Baby Bumper Charm. As Hugo yawned the always attentive mother cast the Diagnostics again. They were negative. Hugo smiled up at his mother.

"It's okay, Mumma. I'm fine."

"I know you are, Sweet boy, but mothers have to worry. It's in our magical contract." Hermione tickled his little rounded tummy, then leaned over to kiss his cool forehead. He tapped her nose with his pudgy fingers and she repeated the gesture by tapping his nose with her index finger.

Just as she turned to snuff out the candle in his lamp and wish her child a good night, Hugo replied, "I love you muches, Mumma."

"I love you muches, too, Hugo. Now, be a good boy and go to sleep."

With a wave of her wand the candle flame wavered, sputtered, and then flickered out.

Hermione would never see Hugo's smile, or hear his laughter again.

Three days later Hugo was buried. Ron had come home prematurely and when Hermione had tried to speak to her husband, to share their grief, he had locked himself in the master bedroom. It was at the funeral when Ron… spoke. Before all the Weasleys and their families Ron had burst into a rage that had sent the wind to buffet around him. When Ron accused Hermione of murdering her own child Molly had intervened. Thoroughly disgusted with her youngest son she had used hexes to turn him away while she held a distraught Hermione to her bosom. Arthur had held onto Rosie but he could not stop the girl's hysterical screams.

For several weeks Hermione and Rose had stayed at the Burrow. Rose was nearly always near her Grandpa Arthur, drawing in her little tablet while Arthur held his granddaughter close to his side. Hermione remained with Molly but moved like an automaton, and spoke in one or two word sentences.

A month after Hugo's death two letters came for Hermione. One was from a solicitor hired by Ron to begin divorce proceedings. Ron himself was in Switzerland with his damned Quidditch team the Hissing Hottentots. The other letter was from Severus. It was a polite inquiry after her health since she had not been to tea for such a long time. Hermione had tucked the letter into a pocket, and had Incendio'd Ron's.

Severus had hoped his letter to Hermione had not been presumptuous but he had to admit that he had missed their Saturday teas. He had also had a breakthrough with the Skele-Gro on her suggestion of soaking the cantankerous Boomslang skin in Aloe before utilising it that he wished to discuss with her. He had every intention of drawing up a paper on the improvement and giving her credit.

There had been no reply to that letter he had sent and so he was left to wonder for the rest of the day whatever it was that he might have said, or done wrong, or perhaps mistakenly implied. It had been a most unpleasant day fraught with a lingering migraine that refused to be assuaged by his strongest Migraine Potion. He had welcomed the end of the day only to discover that sleep was useless. Thus, when knocking had assaulted his front door at two in the morning, he grumbled, but a part of him welcomed the diversion. He had not expected… her.

Hermione had nearly fallen through his open door reeking of Muggle wine; a sweet wine, too. She would be sick later but for now, she was angry at something, but not him. Drawing her stumbling form into the sitting room, he listened as she raved, madly.

"…good mother! Me! That pitiful excuse f—for a father, that slimy git… I'm not fit?" Hermione emphasised her point by jabbing the Potions Master in the chest with her index finger. This close he noted what he had not seen before: bruising. There were shadows of healing bruises: one on her jaw, both wrists, and her collarbone.

Severus drew Hermione more into the light, and also cast a wandless Lumos that caused a small ball of light to hover between them.

"Where did you get these, Hermione?" he asked a little too sharply. Hermione did not answer but jerked away.

"S'none of your… busy ness!" She crumpled slightly against the Potions Master who drew her up tighter into his arms.

Those bruises. They were far too similar to bruises he had seen on his own mother. Severus glowered. Had he missed something? He thought all was well with their marriage. Hermione had never given any indication that there was discord.

"I don' feel so… soooo…" Hermione mumbled against his dressing gown.

Severus rolled his eyes. He picked the witch up into his arms and prayed that he would make it to the bathroom on time. With only a second to spare Hermione was quickly on her knees before the commode retching up her stomach contents, and crying. Severus held her hair out of the way until everything was gone and she sagged back against his shins. The wizard Summoned a wash cloth to wipe away any mess, then doused it with cool water to bring down her temperature. Once more he picked her up and Hermione burrowed her face against his chest.

Gently he laid her upon his bed and raised the duvets to cover her. He paused to glance at her wrists, and grimaced. He would have answers…

Hermione suddenly sat up and jabbed her finger rather painfully into his sternum. "I didn' kill my son, Sleverness!" Just as suddenly as she sat up she fell back on the pillows dead to the world.

"Your son?" he asked the pale creature who slept, now, in his bed.

The morning brought clarity and a confession from Hermione. Severus noted that there was a fresh Glamour in place to cover the bruises. Once he knew what to look for he could detect the simple charm. He was curious but he had decided he would not ask about them. Over breakfast, though, he did learn about Hugo, a sweet and happy child, apple of his father's eye, and treasure to his mother.

Hugo was one of a few young children that succumbed to Dragon Pox. Adults could survive it, and adolescents did well but often suffered scarring from the sickly green pox. The disease was sneakier, and much more fatal to children under the age of eleven. Virtually undetectable by standard Diagnostic spells, a parent often did not know their child was sick unless the green pustules broke out upon the skin. Slowly, and with great care, Severus had explained this to Hermione since no one had told her of this, and she had never researched it. Dragon Pox was not, in her knowledge, a childhood disease.

"Was there nothing I could have done, Severus?" Hermione pleaded so very softly.

Severus shook his head, and stretched out a hand to lay over hers that were clasped upon the table. "You did what you could, Hermione. You loved Hugo. No parent could do less."

Hermione smiled sadly, "I loved him muches," she sighed, and began to weep.

___In the library, in the present, Hermione found Rose in her arms as the little girl petted her riotous curls. She realised she was weeping and Rose was whispering, "It's okay, Mummy. I loved Hugo muches, too."_

_**Author: etherian**_


	20. Chapter 20 Mr Bilius

Ron, sober and terribly smug with himself, strode down Hogsmeade with annoying jauntiness in his step. He was heading to the Hogshead Inn. He did not care any longer that he was no longer associated with the Hissing Hottentots or any Quidditch team.

He had burned ___the house_. ___Her_house. That stupid shack on the north side of Hogsmeade was now so much soot and broken dreams.

Ron's eyebrows tightened his smugness across his forehead where it creased in the middle as his lips thinned. ___She_… ___killed_… his boy. Hugo, his heir, his son who would have one day been a powerful wizard, and extremely talented at Quidditch.

He had made plans for Hugo. His son would have been top student at Hogwarts not just for his skill in magic, but he would have also been Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. No doubt Hugo would have won all the games for his House. Not as Seeker but as a Chaser. Ron had chased Hugo a time or two and that toddler could run. It no doubt showed that he would have been a swift flyer. He scowled again. Stupid Potter's twins would never make the team. Ron was sure one was a ___pouf_ and the other, well, that one that Potter had named after the___Greasy Git_… that boy was headed for Slytherin and a Dark path just like his bloody namesake.

"With Potter as his father he'll probably be the next Dark Lord," Ron muttered under his breath.

Ron suddenly jerked to a stop in his stride as a red envelope popped into existence right in front of his nose. His eyes widened at the Howler. No matter who sent the vile things Howlers were never a good thing. He had been the recipient of hundreds of Howlers from angry fans days before he had been fired from his position as Captain of the Hissing Hottentots. He could not open them fast enough and many of the Howlers had the audacity to explode into burning red confetti in his office.

Grabbing the Howler he opened it as quickly as possibly. Once opened it leapt from his hand and his mother's voice barked sharply at him. "Don't you move, Ronald Bilius!"

The Howler vanished and Ron did not move as he was both stunned, and puzzled by the odd command. His mother was usually much louder, and terribly verbose.

In the next second he had his answer to his unspoken question when Molly Weasley Apparated in front of her son and with all of her strength she slapped him.

"OW!" Ron reeled backwards. The slap and his angered shout caught the attention of many witches and wizards that had been walking up and down the sidewalks going about their day.

Molly, although shorter than her youngest son by two feet, had the young wizard considerably cowed just by her presence and her anger. She strode up to him, and Ron fell to his backside on the sidewalk.

"I cannot believe what you've done, Ronald! You not only disinherited your own daughter but you struck her from our family tree? My granddaughter!"

"She's a Squib, mum!" Ron shot back. His cheek with an imprint of Molly's hand, was beginning to burn with hot blood.

"Yes, so she is," growled Molly. "So what?"

"She's not mine, mum!" Ron sat up as his blood boiled with fury. "I'd never father a damn Squib!"

Molly paused in her own fury. It was suddenly as if Ron had slapped her. Her whole family, including Ronald, had fought against such Pureblood rubbish. She thought of all the times she and Arthur had taken care of their granddaughter. Rosie resembled her mother, and her hair was a much lighter red than any Weasley had, but that was to be expected. Rosie, since her birth, was a Weasley. That is until Ron had severed his own child magically from the Weasley family tree. It was the right of a Weasley parent to do so and only that parent could retract what was done. It was how Walburga Black had removed her own son Sirius from his family tree.

The older witch threw up her hands, and Ron instinctively ducked. He might be an adult but his mother would not hesitate to spank him.

"I don't understand you, Ronald. You turned your back on your own brother George, then Harry because he struck up a friendship with Severus, and I will not go into everything you've done to poor Hermione." Molly shook her head as she dropped her hands to her waist. "Drinking and brawling, messing about with all manner of witches, and now this? Your own child…"

Ron rose madly to his feet and for the first time in his life he laid hands on his mother and pushed her roughly backwards. A wizard standing near to listen to the fray caught Molly and kept her from falling to the pavement.

"Get it through your head, Mum! That girl is a Squib and she isn't mine and Mione never even denied it!" Ron shouted at his mother but his voice carried through the entire crowd that was now listening.

"Hermione couldn't because you would have hit her!" Molly hissed, suddenly conscious that she was airing family business in public.

"I never hit her!" Ron denied hotly, his own voice dropping to a hiss.

Molly grasped Ron's ear and yanked hard, dropping the tall man to his knees with a howl. For her son, only, she whispered, "I know a Glamour when I see one." She then pushed and let go of Ron's ear. He was still wailing like a little boy when she straightened her spine. "I never thought I would have to do this to one of my own children, but you've left me no choice…"

"Mu-um!" Ron held one hand to his abused ear. He had not heard his mother's disappointed words.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, by my magic…" there were some gasps in the crowd as the air began to rise in a swirl around the Weasley matriarch. Ron's jaw gaped open and closed like a fish but the magic in the air did not permit him to speak. Molly finished by curtly crossing her arms across herself. "You are no longer my son." With a swirl Molly turned away from Ron sniffing at suspicious tears.

A young witch pulled Molly in next to her just as light flashed, announcing the presence of the Daily Prophet. The crowd began to disperse.

"Mum?" asked Ron plaintively.

Just as the last of the crowd dispersed and moments before a young reporter in the lime green shoes of Rita Skeeter stepped forward with her Quick Quotes Quill, George Weasley stepped in front of Ron. Hidden mostly by the onlookers George had seen and heard everything.

"Remember the night you got drunk with your Hottentot mates and all of you broke into the shop, ___Bilius_?"

Ron just goggled, fish-like again, at his once-brother.

George's teeth clamped together under a rictus of a smile. "Do you recall what you told me when I ran down the stairs to find out what all the noise and crashing was, ___Bilius_?"

"I was drunk, George!" Ron interjected stiffly.

"Yeah, you were." George whipped out his wand and sent a spell at Ron that knocked him back onto his arse (and Ron realised his posterior was going to be severely bruised after this day). "Yet, you never apologised to me for you and your sodding mates going on and on about how happy you were that Fred was dead. No more twin pranks, no more spiders in your bed, no more gluing your tongue to the roof of your mouth. You were celebrating my brother's death, you bloody rotten git."

"I said I was drunk! It doesn't matter when you're drunk! When's anyone gonna believe me that nothing means nothing when someone's dru… YOW!"

George sent a sharp Stinging Hex at Ron and then turned away. "Mum's not yours anymore, ___Bilius_. Just like Fred, my youngest brother died today. Go get drunk, you lout, and don't ever bother our family again or you'll be ___wishing_for a hangover."

With a loud crack of smug fury George Disapparated.

The intrepid, intrusive young reporter allowed her camera-man to take a photo of Ron that blinded him before she crouched down and asked, "What do you think about what Molly Weasley just did, Mr. Bilius?"


	21. Chapter 21

My apologies for this not being a real chapter. Family life and complications with my own health have made writing next to impossible. Neither Master Snape's Journal nor Daddy Long Legs will be abandoned. Family comes first and myself and my co-writer on Master Snape's Journal need to deal with these issues.

etherian and Master Severus Snape


	22. Chapter 22 Odd Allies

Lucius Malfoy and Harry Potter sat across from each other in Malfoy Manor's grand library, ignoring the exquisite breakfast tea laid out between them in preference of the cut crystal glasses of Firewhiskey each one cradled in their hands.

Lucius raised his glass to his lips and almost laughed at the farcical situation they were all in. If anyone told him ten years ago he would be having morning tea, having stayed up since midnight with the-boy-who-lived and his best friend Severus Snape, while plotting to end the life of Ronald Weasley, he would have sent them to St. Mungo's Spell Damage Ward.

_How things have changed._

"So tell me Potter,"Lucius said, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Harry," interjected the green eyed wizard as he took another sip of his Firewhiskey.

"Yes, _Harry. _I apologise. Some habits are hard to break," the older wizard said coolly before setting his glass down on the Queen Anne table beside him. "How much of Severus' plan do you know?"

Harry sighed.

"Enough to know he will end up in Azkaban unless we find a way to persuade him to take a different approach. He will be of no use to either Hermione or Rose if he was imprisoned."

Lucius turned his grey eyes toward the dark wizard he had known for almost forty years. The Potions Master was standing at the opposite end of the library in front of one of the opulent French bay windows, hands clasped behind his back, his mind obviously preoccupied. The last thing Lucius wanted was for his friend to end up in the very place they had both fought so hard to stay out of. Though he was sure the majority of the public would be very pleased to see Severus Snape rotting in the wizarding prison, it would be a cold day in hell before he would allow that to happen to his friend.

_What good were money and power if you could not use it to your advantage?_

Turning his attention back to the hero of the wizarding world, he recognised that honesty was probably the best strategy when dealing with a Gryffindor like Harry Potter. Though he personally had no love for the boy, they both shared a bond of mutual respect and friendship for the former professor that overshadowed their dislike for each other.

_How Severus would balk to hear that_, thought Lucius with a smirk.

"Understand me," Lucius said as he leaned back against the deep green cushions of the fauteuil à la reine he favoured. "My loyalty lies with Severus, not the Granger women. "

Lucius watched Harry's eyes widen in anger and raised a hand to his lips inclining his head toward the other end of the room where Severus stood. He had seen the boy clutch the arms of his antique chair in fury as he knew the Gryffindor would, at the mention of Granger and her daughter, but he still wanted to get his point across.

_Preferably before Severus was within hearing range._

Lucius accioed the fine crystal decanter of Firewhiskey and topped off both their glasses before continuing.

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to convince that stubborn man to retire from the hell that was Hogwarts? Severus has always hated teaching. I believe that anyone with a common brain the size of a walnut could see that. He stayed because he felt he had no other options, and nowhere else to go, even though the man possess one of only three potions mastery's in the whole of Great Britain including the intelligence to rival, if not surpass that of your hero Dumbledore," Lucius added coldly as he took a long swallow of the amber liquid in his glass. Albus Dumbledore was just as much a manipulator and slave owner as The Dark Lord had been, in Lucius' opinion, except he did it in the name of the light. Lucius had seen firsthand how he had manipulated Severus' love for Lily and in the end; it had nearly caused him his friend's soul.

Lucius was not surprised to see the younger wizard stiffen at the mention of Dumbledore's name. Was he not the older wizard's greatest protector and the apple of his eye? Lucius snorted softly and was about to continue when he heard Potter speak, a coldness in his voice he had never heard before.

"Is that really what you believe, _Malfoy_?"

Potter's voice was so low and frigid; he couldn't help but lock eyes with the bespeckled wizard in front of him.

_Lucius accepted the challenge._

Crossing his arms over his elegant robes, his resplendent long hair in a tail at his nape, he sneered at the younger wizard in a way that would have made even Severus Snape proud.

"Tell me then _Potter, _what _should_ I think, coming from Gryffindor's highest defender?"

Harry nearly slammed his drink on the Queen Anne table beside him, until he remembered Severus at the other end of the room. He did not want the Potions Master to hear this particular conversation.

Taking the last of his drink in a long swallow, he set his glass down on the table and faced the older Malfoy with steel in his eyes. They had been enemies for a very long time, for there was much history between them, but caught somewhere in there was Severus Snape, a person they both cared about, and he was tired of these games.

_It needed to end now._

"Listen Malfoy, Can we end these stupid House rivalry insults? I may not speak out against Dumbledore the way I should, because doing so would cause a great deal of turmoil in a wizarding world that still holds him in such high regard, but I hold no love for the man. He used me in many ways, the same way he used Severus, and even though it was supposedly for the _common good_, I am not blinded to the fact there could have been alternatives to his _master plan._

I saw Severus' memories Malfoy," Harry said narrowing his green eyes at the grey that were melded to his own. "I know what Dumbledore did to him, as well as the pain inflicted by _both _my mum and dad. I can't make up for things people did before I was born, but that doesn't mean I can't make the future better. I've asked him to be godfather to my twins, including naming my firstborn after him so that he may have a namesake. I did my best to include him in any family gatherings Luna and I have had. He use to refuse all of them outright in the beginning, but after the children were born, I knew he made more of an effort to be there, especially for his godsons, and believe me when I tell you, they adore him, both of them."

Harry's eyes grew softer when he thought about how proud Severus had been to be the first to see the twin's magical abilities manifest. He and Luna had left both boys' in Severus' care (at his insistence) when he and Luna had decided to take a week long holiday for themselves during the summer of the boy's third year.

At the end of their holiday when they returned to Spinner's End to collect the boys, Luna and he had been astounded to see the Potions Master on the floor with the twins on his lap, and several wooden blocks floating between all three of them. When Severus looked up with a deeply satisfied smirk on his face, he realised it was the boys levitating the wooden toys, and not the smirking professor.

The very next day, an owl had flown to the Potter home dropping off a beautiful leather bound photo album that was filled with the magical moving photographs of his sons' first attempts at magic.

He knew the endeavor must have taken Severus an enormous amount of time to capture, and wanted to instantly floo to Spinner's End to thank him personally, but Luna had stopped him.

"Sometimes Harry, the best way to thank someone is by not thanking them at all. Let time show you other ways," Luna had said. At first he was angry and not sure how to take that, but years and experience had once again proven that Luna Potter was brilliant in many ways most wouldn't give her credit for.

He did thank Severus, but over time and without outwardly acknowledging it. Subtlety was the key. If you did anything outright with the Potions Master, it was more than likely to be rejected. Time and patience had proven that, and now it was needed more than ever.

"Severus may never like me, and I've learned to accept that," Harry said, lowering his eyes. He had always harbored thoughts of getting to know the reclusive man better, for not only was he the final link to his parents, but in many ways, he could not help but feel protective over the wizard who had given up the better part of his life to watch over him, and regardless of what other people thought, he knew it was not just for Lily Potter anymore.

_His twins had proven that._

Severus was a free man. After Voldemort had been defeated, he could have gone his separate way and ignored them all, but the fact he remained in the fabric of their lives, silently watching over all of them, was a testament to how much Harry and his family meant to him.

_Even though he knew he would never admit it._

Hermione's inclusion in Severus' small world had been a shock at first. He and Luna had been out of touch with her and Ron for so long he did not think he would actually hear from the couple again other than the obligatory Christmas greetings, and even those had stopped over the last few years.

The divorce came as no shock to anyone. Again, he only knew of information that trickled in from Severus, Molly and Arthur or the occasional reliable source that Luna had for The Quibbler, but still he had never thought that Hermione and Ron had been a good match. Hermione was far too intelligent and strong for someone needy like Ron who he knew wanted a baby factory and a witch who would stroke his ego and fill his needs.

How or why Hermione put up with it for as long as she did, Harry couldn't understand until he realised what had been part of the problem.

Many people had failed, or did little to notice the witch in question, always assuming she was alright. Hermione Granger was strong and independent. Surely nobody, especially her own husband would take advantage of her?

It was only after Severus explained the situation that he understood how badly he had failed his former best friend. He was going to do everything he could to make it up to her. Even if she would not accept it, he at least had to try.

Knowing that Severus loved her, only added fuel to his resolve. He knew that when Severus gave his heart, it was forever, and never to be taken lightly. Harry shivered slightly when he thought about Ron. The day he had hurt Hermione and her daughter he had sealed his fate.

_Dead or alive, Ron would never be the same again._

Harry knew he had no right to betray his friend's trust, but lives were hanging in the balance now, and if anyone could help Severus to see reason, it was Lucius Malfoy.

Harry raised his eyes toward the dark figure standing by the window, before turning his gaze to meet the steel grey in front of him. Making his decision, he lowered his voice and said three soft words.

"He loves her."

For a long time, the two men simply stared at each other, before both turned away and pondered the empty glasses at their side that nobody bothered to refill.

Finally unable to take the silence any longer, Harry leaned forward and hissed, "Did you hear what I said Malfoy?"

Lucius flicked his gaze from the fire he had been staring at to the emerald that was boring into his own. For the first time that night, he felt powerless.

"What do you want me to say Potter?"

Harry's mouth fell open.

"What do you mean? Did you not hear what I just said? He loves her! Don't you think that means something?" Harry was so angry by this point; he was close to drawing his wand.

Lucius on the other hand seemed not to notice, instead turning his eyes back to the fire.

"Tell me what unrequited love has brought to Severus? He was trapped, manipulated and almost lost his very soul for a woman who barely recognised he existed after 6th year, no matter how much he tried to apologise to her. He is finally at a place in his life I thought he could start over and try to find some peace, then all this starts. What is the point if she does not return the same sentiments toward him? Is this just another Lily Evans? How much more does he have to sacrifice of himself Potter?"

The words hit him like ice water. _He finally understood what Lucius had been trying to say the whole night._

Harry reached deep inside himself to remember everything he loved and knew about his former best friend. He had always known that she and Ron were incompatible. _Why?_ His head ached from trying to recall so many events from the past, but after a long time, he knew he finally had his answer, and was confident when he spoke.

"She loves him. Why else would she have gone to him of all people? Even in school she would never allow anyone to insult him. For so many years, Severus has been a constant wedge in Ron and Hermione's life. I remember the rows they would have when we were still in contact, and even afterward, I recall Ron saying on the few occasions I did see him at Molly's, how _the git could do no wrong in her eyes. _Trust me when I tell you that Hermione is like Severus in more ways than she cares to admit. I have no doubt she loves him and in some ways, always has. I would risk my life on it."

Lucius closed his eyes and lifted a hand to his temple, trying to massage some of the stress away. He would have to call in That Woman he knew for a proper massage when this was all done. Finally he gave a resigned sigh.

"I owe Severus, not just because he saved my son many times over, but because he is my best friend and a good individual who never gave up on me, even though society had deemed me unworthy from my past mistakes, including my own wife. He deserves peace for once in his life, and if what you are saying is true, then I will do what I can to not only keep him out of Azkaban, but to ensure his own chances at happiness…_Harry_."

Harry could not help but smile at the older wizard's first sincere attempt at using his given name. Relaxing for the first time that night, he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Thank you…._Lucius_."

The blonde wizard had just started to smirk when they heard the sharp snap of Severus' robes.

Both men turned to see the dark wizard striding toward them with deadly resolve in each step. Murder was etched in the ebon depths of his eyes and strong magic was radiating off him like heat.

"Weasley is at Spinner's End. He is attempting to breach the wards."

Both men stood up in alarm, but Severus flung them both aside with a wave of his hand. Before they could recover, he had thrown himself into the floo, called out his home and disappeared into the green depths of the flames.

Harry ran forward and was about to follow, when an arm pulled him back and shoved him into the chair he had been sitting in. Lucius stood in front of the fireplace with eyes closed, and his hand pressed painfully into the bridge of his nose.

"What are you doing? We need to help him!" Harry screamed, as he stood up, pulled out his wand and pointed it at the older wizard to try and get him to move out of the way. Had he lost his mind?

Lucius opened his eyes and stared at Harry with open irritation.

"Do you not know your former professor better than that? Spinner's End is warded you idiot, especially its floo. You will not be able to get through. You are thinking like a Gryffindor, wanting to rush into things. The only reason Severus was able to floo there was because he can unward it at will. _It is his home."_

Lucius was already walking toward the foyer when he noticed Harry was not following. Turning around, he saw the young man staring at the floo, a helpless expression on his face.

"We can't just abandon him. He needs our help."

Harry was stunned to hear a purr of laughter and turned to see narrowed grey eyes glittering at him from the doorway.

"Really Harry, do you honestly believe there is no other way to help Severus? Start thinking like a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor. From what I heard you were almost sorted into our house. Pity really," Lucius smirked and turned on his heel knowing full well the-boy-who-lived was right behind him this time.

Author: Master Severus Snape

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_**A/N: I have about 8 chapters that are already written that I will be posting in the next few weeks. After that I shall be writing the story by myself since it has been so long since my writing partner and I have been able to get together - I cannot say when we will be writing again.**_


	23. Chapter 23 Arsenius Jigger

Hermione had put aside the book she had tried to read in the library and chose to concentrate on plans for Vienna. The Grimm Bros. Consortium would be her first meeting. The two aged Potions Masters were not just the head of the very exclusive Potions Guild, but their business had the best rated ingredients that included the exotic and rare. Hermione had decided that their new business — she paused a moment, then wrote a quick notation, what IS the name of our business? — would benefit from Severus being inducted into the Potions Guild. Contrary to popular belief a Mastery in Potions did not guarantee one a place in the Guild. Only two new members had been inducted in the last 50 years.

Hermione had discovered a secret; the brothers Grimm, both in their 90s, had a weakness for Honeydukes Special Edition Truffles. She smiled. She had already invested a goodly sum in a two pound box of the chocolates, and they were safe at Honeydukes until it was time to pick them up.

At that moment a strong knock sounded against the front door. Hermione glanced up from her notes in puzzlement. _Was Severus expecting someone to arrive in the Muggle manner?_

"I'll get it!" crowed Rose as she dropped her paintbrush into the easel trough. She was off and running before Hermione had risen from one of the desks in the library.

"Rosie! Don't you open that door!" Ordered the witch as she skirted away from the desk and ran at full tilt after her daughter.

Rose, obeying her mother's shouted command, skidded to a stop in the narrow, dim hallway. Hermione collided with Rose and they both fell. Hermione's intended smooth move to grasp the wand she had used to anchor her hair in a soft bun, failed spectacularly, and the wand went flying off into some obscure shadow.

"Rose!" Hermione snapped unnecessarily and picked herself up. Her long, blue skirt had perfectly dusted the hallway floor.

"You said to stop, Mum!" Rose retorted.

Hermione's lips thinned as she quietly conceded that her daughter was right. She began to slap at the dust on her skirt, not thinking of Scourgifying it, when the knock began again.

The young witch wrenched the door open, against her own cautionary self, and looked into the face of a trim wizard, about an inch taller than herself, wearing a dark grey trench coat of wool over a Muggle suit of black that was cut more in the Edwardian era than that of the present. She smirked to herself, wizards never quite got Muggle fashion right. However, this dark-skinned man with even white teeth showing through an affable smile, beneath shoulder length dreadlocks, looked rather smart in his suit and trench.

"May I help you, sir?" asked Hermione politely. One hand was behind her and she was pleased to note that Rose was behind her slipping her wand into that hand.

"Arsenius Jigger, Mrs. Weasley," the wizard chuckled giving her a courtly bow. "I am testing a new formulation of Polyjuice Potion. Might I come in?"

Hermione ushered the wizard from Slug & Jigger's Apothecary into the home at Spinner's End. She watched with fascination as the wizard removed the effects of the potion with a simple _Finite Incantatem_. As the dark skin, the white teeth and dreadlocks smoothly faded away, the real Arsenius Jigger, a distinguished, gentleman in his 80s with a wealthy profusion of soft iron grey hair was revealed. His sea green eyes sparkled from a wrinkled face with smile creases at the corners as he noted the small face behind Hermione's skirt that eyed him owlishly.

Rose hung onto her mother's skirt as Hermione led Arsenius into the sitting room. Every once in awhile she glanced over her shoulder at the wizard.

"I would very much like to ask you a dozen questions about your new Polyjuice Potion, Mr. Jigger…"

Smoothly the older wizard interjected, "Please, call me Arsenius since Severus tells me we shall soon be working together."

Hermione showed him the wingback chair that Severus favoured, and he sat down. Then, gently wresting the clinging limpet, Rose, from her skirt, Hermione motioned the little girl to the sofa. She smiled at him, "If you'll call me Hermione, then."

Arsenius nodded. Hermione offered tea, but he declined. "I had hoped to speak to Severus, but he is not at home, I gather?" The older man did wonder silently as to what a married woman and her daughter were doing in a single wizard's home. Not that he disapproved of anything that might appear untoward, he was simply curious. Let busy-body witches wag their tongues.

Hermione seated herself beside Rose. "Severus left a note saying that he had business. I had assumed that it might be with you."

"Ah, I hope I did not miss him." For a moment the older wizard was silent as he tapped the finger-tips of his long fingers together in a muted rhythm against his lower lip. "Mrs…"

"Actually, Arsenius, I'm no longer Mrs. Weasley. My divorce from Ron was final a little over a month ago. It's Miss Granger, now, but please, I really would like you to call me Hermione."

"And you can call me Rose!" the child interjected.

Arsenius let out a rich chortle and graced the pretty little girl with a smile that twinkled. "Indeed, young miss, and so I shall."

Rose grinned. "Why did you want to see Professor Snape?" asked the girl anticipating her mother's question.

"Rosie!" chided Hermione softly.

"It's quite all right, Hermione. I was hoping to talk Severus out of cancelling his appearance in Vienna. Perhaps you've spoken to him?" he asked hopefully.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "He cancelled? Do you know why?"

Arsenius sat up straight suddenly aware of his unintentional faux pas. "I was certain he must have said something to you… I am sorry if I over… well, I understood that you weren't well…" his voice faltered as he saw the angry expression on Hermione's face.

"Not well," she scowled. "I'm perfectly fine!" she insisted. "Despite the loss…" suddenly she bit her tongue. As much as she knew Severus trusted the apothecary she didn't wish to give voice to yesterday's nightmare. "Rose and I both need a bit more rest than we've been getting lately, Mr. Jigger, but I can assure you we are fine and perfectly able to attend the symposium."

Arsenius smiled wanly. He had a feeling that the young wizard was going to be dealing with the lion in this witch this evening. "Well, then I will let you discuss this with Severus, Hermione, and I will then expect you both in Vienna, won't I?"

"And, me!" piped up Rose.

"Of course…"

All three rapidly covered their ears as the screech of an alarm of one of Severus' many wards protecting his home was breached. Despite the initial noise, Hermione whipped up her wand and aimed it at the door of the library. Quickly incanting a spell that Severus had taught her, a spell that added a protective ward to the library, a Silencing Charm, and a Notice-Me-Not Charm, the alarm abruptly cut off.

"Mummy?" asked Rose worriedly.

"Someone's trying to break Severus' wards," Arsenius was the one to answer. "He will know of this." Moving to sit on the sofa he urged Rose to him, and then nodded Hermione to join them. "The spell, Hermione, that you cast?"

"Severus thought that I ought to know it just in case, but I never really thought there might be any danger. Who could it be? Maybe I ought to go and see…" She started to rise, but the older man caught her firmly by the forearm.

"Under no circumstances will you leave this room, Miss Granger. You will stay here with your daughter," Arsenius objected firmly drawing Hermione back down beside him. Softly he then said, "Severus' wards are tuned to him. He will know and he will come."

_**Author: etherian**_


	24. Chapter 24 Attack! Part I

Severus sprang from the floo at Spinner's End, wand raised, every inch of his mind and body ready for battle. Even though the war had been over for a long time, the spy in him had made sure to keep both his physical and mental state in constant preparedness for any situation. His physical prowess and mental dexterity could rival that of any wizard twenty years his junior.

_Seeing the sitting room deserted, he closed his eyes and reached through the magic around him….._

Weasley was just outside the final layer of his wards. He knew Hermione had cast the protection spell he had taught her because he could not feel her or Rose's presence anywhere. That meant they had to be in the library.

The library was a very special place in Severus' home, and had served him many times over the years. During the war, it had been a bolthole as a necessary precaution against serving two unstable masters. It was his last place of refuge in the darkest period of his life.

After the war, he had renovated it into a library that housed one of the finest agglomerations of Dark Arts tomes in existence. Even Hermione did not know the full extent of his vast collection, for he kept it warded and hidden from all but his own eyes.

Severus was sure many would choose to believe that he kept such an extensive assemblage due to his fascination for the subject, and while that was a reasonable conjecture to a point, the real reason was because he did not trust others with the knowledge that those books contained. If they were kept away, hidden and safe, they would never fall into the wrong hands, for many of them were indestructible. Due to these very reasons, he had made sure the wards on his library would rival that of Hogwarts itself.

Severus had no clear idea how Weasley had managed to break through the wards around Spinner's End itself, but he would find out in good time. He had meant to hunt down the bastard, but since he had decided to walk into his fate on his own merit, who was he to turn down such a gift? Always the Slytherin, Severus knew when to seize opportunities around him.

_The imbecilic Gryffindor had practically handed himself over on a silver platter._

The first thing he needed to do however, was to get Hermione and Rose someplace safe, for he did not want them anywhere near Weasley, especially with the knowledge of what he could do to twit.

Knowing he only had minutes, he ran behind the bar, touching the correct bottles with his wand while muttering the ancient incantations to release the wards surrounding his library. Immediately, the wall slid open and he sprinted inside.

"Hermione….."

The words were not even half out of his mouth when he felt the warm body of the witch suddenly pressed up against his own, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Severus, thank Merlin you're here," she said, her breath a warm sigh on his neck.

Without even thinking, he enfolded the witch in his arms and pressed his face into her amber curls, smelling the spicy citrus and French milled soap he had come to associate with the fragile young woman. He was so relieved to know they were safe, he did not even realise what he was doing until he heard the last voice he expected.

"Well Severus, let it never be said that a visit to Spinner's End is dull in any way."

Severus looked up to see his former potions mentor Arsenius Jigger sitting on a sofa near the easel he had set up for Rose, a bemused expression on his face, with his arm wrapped lightly around the seven year old who was staring up at him and Hermione with a curious look in her deep blue eyes.

Severus quickly let go of Hermione cursing himself for his lack of restraint and wondering what the hell Arsenius was doing in his home, when suddenly, he felt the last of his wards give in.

"SNAPE, I know you have them! Get up here and face me now you fecking bastard!"

Ronald Weasley's voice echoed throughout the house, and Severus saw Rose cower against Arsenius' side. The older man tightened his grip around her, and locked eyes with his former pupil.

"Take them and get out now!" Severus hissed as he shoved Hermione toward Arsenius. "I will lower the wards long enough to Disapperate them out, now GO! I will handle Weasley," he said, his voice ice.

Without a second glance, Severus drew his wand and left the library, silently warding it behind him. For the first time, he allowed his full anger and rage to course through him, remembering everything that had happened to Hermione and her daughter in the last year. When he finally came face to face with Weasley he had no doubt in his mind that if Weasley did not make amends, he would kill the man who had caused so much pain for the two people in his life he had now come to consider _his family._

Severus slipped quietly into the sitting room, blending into the shadows of a nearby alcove, to observe Weasley strutting around like a blind banshee, waving his wand in the air, while shouting obscenities and threats like the idiot Gryffindor he was.

Severus stood in the darkened corner watching the man with loathing, wondering for the millionth time what the hell Hermione had seen in such a distasteful and repugnant individual. The two had absolutely nothing in common and were as opposite and night and day.

_What a waste for such a brilliant witch._

Finally, having heard enough, Severus stepped out of the shadows, his wand trained squarely at Ronald Weasley's chest.

"Weasley," he hissed with deadly countenance, "I had full intention of hunting down your repulsive being in order to terminate your presence from Hermione's life once and for all, but since you were stupid enough to step foot in my territory, you have made my job much easier," Severus said, a cold feral sneer spreading across his face.

Ron whipped around at the sound of the voice he had detested with a passion since he was eleven. Finally, he had that git, the man who had stolen what rightfully belonged to him! He turned his wand toward his former teacher wishing he had died in the Shrieking Shack. He would have too, if it had not been for that bitch of a wife… _no ex-wife_ of his. She was always defending the evil Death Eater scum. Where was she now? Whore to a Death Eater. Ha!

"Snape," he snarled, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment. I'm finally going to get a bit of myself back. I've hated you and your ugly mug, greasy hair and vile disposition for as long as I can remember. I never understood what Harry and 'Mione saw in you. You're nothing but a loathsome creature. You should have been put away in Azkaban long ago, you fecking git. You may have fooled them; probably Imperiused them, but you'll never fool me. Once a Death Eater, _always a Death Eater."_

_Severus' dark eyes narrowed as he fought to control his anger._

"Trust me Weasley, the feeling is mutual. I harbor no love for _cowards_ who use their wives as punching bags and their children as scapegoats for their own self loathing and insecurities. You have never deserved a woman as brilliant as Hermione nor a daughter as loving and observant as Rose. The child has such an open heart she _still l_oves you, even though she can clearly see all that is happening around her, and what you have done to your own family. Taking it out on them will _not _bring _him _back Weasley," Severus said slowly through clenched teeth. "You have lost your son, and now you have lost. your. daughter. Did you never see that she needed you in her life, Weasley._ Be a man_ and salvage what you may of your dignity, and leave. _Do not do this to her."_

The two men slowly circled each other, wands drawn. The tension in the air was the gathering of their magic and their emotions; it was thick, sickening even. Severus was not attacking yet, wanting to give the other man time to let his words sink in, but he was not stupid enough to lower his wand either. Minutes passed as neither men spoke out loud, but it was very evident that multiple thoughts were racing through both their minds as their wands stayed in attack position.

Severus' voice dropped to a cajoling purr. "Think, Weasley, about what you are going to do because I have no qualms about going to Azkaban to defend Hermione, Rose and my home."

Weasley inexplicably laughed before sending a wildly aimed Jelly-Legs Hex at the older wizard. The shield that Severus cast was child's play against the silly hex.

_Nobody noticed the figure that had slipped out of the library, as silent as shadow on the wall._

A well aimed Expelliarmus forced Ron backwards where an ottoman caught the backs of his knees and threw him heels over head to the floor.

"Stop it!" shouted Hermione. She did not pull away from Severus when he caught her reflexively by the upper arm and pulled her protectively towards him. Holding her wand on her ex-husband, Hermione turned her head slightly to look up at the hard and angry face of her partner. "Severus," she spoke softly. A minute twitch of his mouth signaled that he was listening to her, but he would not take his eyes off the youngest Weasley male. "Please, I know you're angry at him… for what he did to me and Rose, but I don't want you to end up in Azkaban….not for me and not for Rose." She stepped a touch closer and whispered, "_Please, we need you Severus." _Her plea finally struck a chord in Severus' mind.

Still not looking at Hermione, Severus' voice was low and tightly controlled as he whispered for her hearing only, "He came to _my _house to do injury to _my_ family, Hermione. Wizarding law allows me to defend my own against intruders to the…_harshest_… extent, however, I am giving him an opportunity to think about certain things I have explained to his rather shallow and infantile mind."

Quickly Hermione squeezed his forearm to let him know she understood. Her eyes then narrowed as she looked towards Ron who was now picking himself up off the floor.

"Will you give me five minutes, Severus?" The wizard gave the young witch a short curt nod and his dark, grey eyes glittered in disapproval as he saw her wand, steady in her hand, as she walked over to her ex-husband.

Ron was extricating his long legs from the ottoman, and rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. His wand, in his other hand, flexed badly as he pressed his hand against the ottoman to raise himself from the floor.

"Bloody hell, Mione!" he cursed beneath his breath. "I don't know what's got into you but this is all spiraling out of control…"

Hermione interrupted him, "Nothing has goten into me, Ron. You're the one that burned down _my _home and severed all claims, magical and paternal, to _your _daughter."

"She's a Squib, 'Mione. _I don't want her_," he growled drawing the back of his hand across his lip. His teeth had bitten his lower lip when he fell and so his hand smeared the trickle of blood that was there. Hermione stepped back, not at any harshness in Ron's voice towards his daughter, but the lack of any emotion he might have once felt for her. "I do want you, babe…" he crooned, giving her that lopsided smile that so many Quidditch groupies loved. Hermione had once thought it was charming, too, when Ron had still been a boy. Now it looked like the perpetual leer of someone with very few brain cells.

"I don't want you, Ron," she gasped taking another step away as he approached.

Severus' hand twitched on his wand, his breathing hitching as Weasley stepped toward Hermione. He tried his best to allow Hermione the five minutes she had requested of him, but if he got any closer, Weasley would find himself a dead man, promise or not. The Potions Master's dark grey eyes followed the redhead's movements inch by inch.

Ron's leer vanished as his brows bore down in a deep scowl. "I'm not a Weasley anymore!" Ron shouted needlessly. "If mum is ever to take me back then that means I have to forgive _you_ and take _you_ back."

Stretching out her arm, her wand tip touched Ron's nose. Wisely he froze. "Forgive me? I did nothing to be forgiven for, Ron. I loved you with all my heart and my soul because I thought I should…"

Ron interrupted and shouted, "You got pregnant and ruined everything! I had to turn down the Chudley Cannons and marry you, because you wanted to keep that fecking spawn — that Squib isn't mine, Mione," Ron cajoled. "I know she's his so let the git keep her." The force of his vehemence had Hermione stumbling backwards. "You ruined everything! I almost forgave you when you gave me Hugo, but you had to go and kill him! My son! I don't give a damn about that Squib or your bloody house!"

"Daddy, no!" Rose's voice had both Ron and Hermione end their argument. She had run past a surprised Severus and was now pushing Ron away from her mother. "Just go away! Please don't yell and hurt mummy no more!" Her fists hit one hip while the other struck with unerring force against his bits. Ron let out a pained '_whoof'_. As he bent over, Rose grasped his free hand. "Please, Daddy… don't…"

"Ron yanked his hand from Rose's and dropped a look of pure hate upon her tearful face. "Filthy Squib!" Ron raised his wand, whether to strike the child or hex her, Rose did not know. Ducking, she scuttled swiftly away until she was grabbing onto Severus. He immediately pushed her protectively behind him, shielding her with his free arm.

Hermione turned and faced Ron, anger and magic mixing, as she pointed her wand at her ex-husband, her hand trembling as she spoke.

"I _wish_ Severus was Rose's real father! In the past 48 hours he's done more for her, been kinder to her than you have been in her entire seven years!" Hermione slashed her wand opening a short cut on his forehead. "I don't know what you did to me, Ronald Weasley, or whatever your name is now, but I was a fool for too long for you, and it ends, now. You destroyed me, you destroyed Rose, and you burned down our home. You've done enough!" Her wand again slashed viciously through the air carving a cut into his right cheek and across his jaw.

Severus' heart swelled with stunned pride at Hermione's shouted statement. He was barely collected when a small hand made its way into his own larger one by his side. He looked down to see calm blue eyes meeting his own deepest grey.

_"I wish you were, too."_

Rose's words froze everyone but her mother who turned at the sound of her daughter's voice behind her.

Ron's brow furrowed dangerously as his anger swirled maniacally around him. He was looking at the Squib and felt an unnatural hatred spiral through his veins. He knew she was his, but she was an embarrassment; the deepest shame of a Pureblood wizard.

"It's your fault, you stupid _Mudblood_ chit," ground out Ron. "None of this would have happened to me if I'd never met you!" Ron raised his wand and quicker than Severus expected the younger wizard, shouted a curse that boiled his blood and made his heart sink at the same time.

_Sectumsempra_

And, the curse was about to strike Hermione's vulnerable back…

_**Authors: Master Severus Snape & etherian**_


	25. Chapter 25 Attack! Part II

_"__Sectumsempra"_

The curse hit Hermione full in the back, and in an instant, she crumpled to the ground in a bloodied heap.

Rose screamed in anguish and ran to her mother's side falling to her knees and throwing her body over the helpless form on the ground. Her blue eyes, reflecting with a rage that had been building for years, met her father's matching pair.

"I hate you!" She spat viciously letting years of resentment drip into every syllable.

Ron stared, unfeeling, at the mother and daughter who had destroyed his only chance at happiness.

"The feeling's likewise Squib," he snarled as he pointed his wand at his last remaining child.

In his moment of triumph, Ron had forgotten the dark wizard standing to the side whose glittering dark eyes burned with the fires of hell as he silently cast the spell for The Full Body-Bind Curse. Before Ron could blink, his body froze and fell to the floor, his eyes wide with panic and shock, as the curse rendered him totally incapacitated while still allowing him the ability of his five senses. Severus made sure the bastard was going to suffer everything around him to its fullest extent-_completely aware._

After taking the bound wizard's wand and tucking it into his robes, he bent over Ron's paralysed form and dropped a deadly whisper into his ear so Rose could not hear him.

"The second they are gone, you will meet the consequences of your actions. You will wish for death Weasley," he hissed before standing up and quickly making his way to where Hermione lay motionless.

Arsenius had come out of the library and was sitting on the floor with Hermione's head cradled on his lap. Rose had her small body thrown over her mother, crying hysterically. When she saw Severus kneel beside her, she threw herself into his arms sobbing.

"P-please help her P-professor. D-don't let mummy die…p-please!"

Severus grasped her upper arms and pushed her away, gently but firmly.

"Rose, I need you to calm down," he said in the authoritative voice that no student under his tenure ever dared to counter. "Your mother needs you now more than ever. I can help her, but I need you to sit quietly and not distract me, do you understand?"

Rose wanted to protest, but saw the Professor's face brooked no room for argument. There was also a note in his voice that she had never heard before, and she knew better than to disobey. She needed to be a big girl to help her mum. Biting her bottom lip in a way that was similar to her Hermione's, she nodded solemnly.

Severus reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, before softening his voice slightly.

"Good girl. Go sit with Arsenius, and remain silent. This will need to be done quickly." Severus could see the blood already seeping through the carpet, and knew he did not have much time. As Rose made her way to the older Potions Master, Severus gathered Hermione into his arms and tenderly lay her face down on his old sofa. Kneeling beside her, he took out his ebony wand and began softly chanting in an almost sing song fashion. His eyes were closed and his head was bent in deep concentration as he moved his wand over Hermione's wounded back while softly chanting the counter-spell to Sectumsempra.

Rose sat on Arsenius' lap and watched in worried amazement as her mother's wounds started to close.

"What's he singing?" Whispered Rose into the older wizard's ear, her eyes wide with wonder.

Arsenius listened for a moment to the soothing words, then replied, "_Vulnera Sanentur_**.** It is the counter to the spell your father used on your mother." Rose glared at the old apothecary. Silently he apologised. The last thing Rose wanted was to hear that Ron Weasley was her father. "Severus knows exactly what he is doing. Trust him child," Arsenius said softly as he put his arms around the girl in reassurance.

Rose flicked her cerulean eyes toward her immobilized father who was still lying wide eyed on the floor, before turning them back to the dark wizard chanting over her mother.

"I trust him with my life," she said simply. "Mum told me I could, and I believe her."

Arsenius nodded and silently summoned a phial from Severus' stores knowing what the younger Potions Master would need when he was finished.

Eventually, Severus lowered his wand, and opened his tired eyes. The wound was almost completely healed. He glanced at Arsenius and a knowing look passed between the two as the older wizard withdrew the phial from his robes and floated it into Severus' waiting hand.

"What is that?" Rose asked as she watched the Professor unbutton her mother's robes enough to be able to squeeze drops of a clear liquid onto her mother's back. It hissed where it touched her skin as the flesh started knitting together smoothly.

"Essence of Dittany," said Arsenius with a small smile. "It is a potion with healing factors that can be used to prevent scarring. Because Severus was quick enough with the initial healing, your mother's back should not show much damage at all."

Without looking up from his task, Severus requested, "Blood Replenisher, Arsenius." The apothecary Summoned the needed potion and then sent over to the dark-haired wizard.

Rose watched the Professor's ministrations on her mother with a thoughtful look for a long time before finally whispering softly, "He _is _a good man."

"Indeed" Arsenius nodded, "and unfortunately, not many people realise that, little one. He is often mistreated and misunderstood. Your mother is a good person and has always treated him with respect. It is fortunate he has her in his life."

Rose frowned as she thought about all the bad things her father said about the Professor over the years.

_She finally understood how wrong he was._

Slowly she stood up and made her way over to where Severus was kneeling by Hermione. He had just finished re-buttoning her robes after tending to the last of her wounds, and was sitting back on his heels drawing her into his lap, Coaxing her mouth open he emptied the phial of Blood Replenisher into her mouth and encouraged her unconscious body to swallow by stroking her throat. With a sigh he slumped, closed his eyes with exhaustion. He was trying to gathering his deepest resources of magic when he felt a very gentle and small hand on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see the child he had known for less than two days staring at him with such sincerity and warmth he mentally flinched. Very few people in his life, especially a child, had ever looked at him with such kindness and respect. He truly did not know how to handle it except to bury his confusion with his usual mask of indifference. Patting her hand slightly, he pushed it away before speaking.

"Do not worry Rose. Your mother will be fine, she just needs rest. Arsenius is going to take you and..."

Suddenly he was engulfed in a very tight embrace. Rose had her small arms wrapped around his neck, her face pressed against his cheek. He could feel her warm tears falling like a soft whisper against his skin.

"I'm so s-sorry P-professor. P-please forgive me," she choked, trying hard not to sound as stupid and childish as she felt.

Severus was so stunned he fell back on his bum, his arms falling at his sides. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"What in Merlin's name are you going on about child?" He asked, slightly exasperated. He could handle only so much emotion in one day, and he still had to deal with the pathetic excuse of a man that was lying on his sitting room floor.

"I believed d-dad when he kept c-calling you evil. He said so many t-terrible things about you and sometimes mum too. A-arsenius said people don't l-like or respect you. Well, I think they're all st-stupid," she wept before planting a tiny kiss on his wet cheek. She then looked over at her incapacitated father, before turning back to the dark wizard and saying loud enough to make sure Ron heard her loud and clear, "I wish mum had married _you_ and not _him_. I really wish you _were _my real father!" Rose then hugged him tighter and buried her face against his shoulder.

Severus was so shocked by her words, he sat there with his arms limp at his sides unable to move, let alone return her hug. He simply had no knowledge on how to deal with anything like this. It was not like dealing with his godsons, Harry and Luna's twins. They were affectionate, and certainly loved their godfather, but Severus was not their parent.

Struggling, to regain his composure, he swallowed and tried to tell himself the child was emotional, and traumatized over what she had just witnessed, and would cling to any male authority figure who helped her and her mother. This was a normal expression of gratitude, and he would be stupid to think anything more of it.

_And yet, the child still clung to him like she was terrified he would disappear at any moment. She had said it twice; she wished he was her father._

Slowly, he brought his arms up to encircle the child's trembling form, and pulled her more securely onto his lap. As he relaxed into the embrace the wizard was enveloping her protectively against his chest, and rocking her gently. He closed his eyes remembering what it was like to have a father who detested him for being born. He may not be Rose's real father, but he could still be a positive presence in her life, and he would do anything to protect her and her mother. Since he and Hermione were forming a business partnership, and both she and Rose would be staying at Spinner's End until they found a new home, he would be seeing a lot of the child. It made sense that she would feel this way about him. He could not let the attachment get too close however, as it would kill him when she and Hermione finally left him. However, while they were with him...

_No child should feel unwanted._

Arsenius watched Severus and Rose with knowing eyes. Pity ached in his heart, for he knew all too well about Severus' upbringing and the hateful father he had. In this way, the two were alike, and who better to help Rose than one who had experienced the same kind of parental rejection?

For many years he had watched his former apprentice struggle with loneliness, bigotry and hatred because of the turbulent circumstances surrounding his life, some in his control and some not. All he had ever wanted was for the man he considered a son, to find some corner of happiness in his life, and he had a very good feeling that Hermione and Rose were the balm of healing he needed in order to attain it, even though he may not realise it just yet.

Arsenius was brought out of his thoughts by Severus' shaky voice. He knew Severus was trying to keep his emotions in check, and sighed to himself. He prayed one day, the boy would not have to hide behind his mask any longer.

Wincing slightly inwardly, he knew Severus hated being thought of as a _'__boy'_, however, to Arsenius, who had known Severus since he was seven years of age, when Eileen Snape had first brought her son into his apothecary for potions ingredients; he would always be a _'__boy'._

"Are you listening to me Arsenius? I need you to take them to safety so I can deal with Weasley, or whatever the hell he calls himself now. Since Molly disowned him, I have no idea," Severus hissed irritably as he adjusted the little girl in his arms. Rose had fallen asleep, understandably worn out from all the trauma of the day. Though he wanted nothing more than to tuck both Hermione and her daughter into their respective rooms upstairs, he knew Spinner's End was no place for them until '_the man formerly known as Weasley'_, was dealt with.

"Of course Severus. Since they are both asleep however, I will have to Apparate them one at a time. Where should I take them?"

"Grimmauld Place," said a familiar voice coming from the hidden doorway of the loo under the stairs. Both sets of eyes turned to see the two figures of Harry Potter and Lucius Malfoy striding out of the loo like it was the most natural thing in the world. Lucius had a wide smirk on his face as his steel grey eyes flicked to the paralysed and drooling wizard on the floor then back to Severus who was still sitting with the small redhead cradled in his arms.

"Hmm, at least I haven't missed all the fun. The Full Body-Bind Curse Severus?" Lucius said as he sat on the wingback chair right next to Ron's frozen body. He used his long silver cane to poke the bound wizard's somewhat extended beer gut making Ron's eyes dilate with terror. "I have not seen that used since The Dark Lord hit Longbottom with it during the final battle. Nice touch, I might add," he said leaning back and quirking an eyebrow at his friend in appreciation.

Harry interrupted irritably, "I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself and think this is a game Malfoy. Can't you see something has happened to Hermione and Rose?" He then turned to the other wizard who had risen from the floor, and now stood near Arsenius with Rose in his arms. "What the hell happened here Severus? Also, why do you have a loo that connects to Malfoy Manor?" Harry asked as he knelt next to Hermione and stroked her hair. It had been so long since he had seen her. He had desperately wanted to reacquaint with his best friend again, but not like this.

"Ahh, I see we are back to surnames," Lucius said before Severus could respond. He summoned a glass and the Firewhiskey he had given Severus upon his retirement. "You really should get a house elf Severus," he said as he poured himself three fingers worth. He swirled the amber liquid in its glass before taking an elegant sip. Leaning back, he smirked at the helpless wizard at his feet; before he went on to explain. "The loo was set up between Severus and myself during the war. When I decided to defect to The Order, I needed a way to keep in contact with Severus that was not as obvious as the Floo. The wall in the loo works just like the brick wall on the Hogwarts Express platform does. Nobody would ever suspect it. As for what happened here, I agree with _Potter._ Do explain Severus."

Severus rolled his eyes. He knew he should have been angrier, but right now all he cared about was getting Rose and Hermione to safety. He was going to save all his anger for the former Weasley. Besides, having Harry and Lucius there would actually come in handy for what he needed.

"Thank you. I am honoured that I am finally allowed to speak in my own home," Severus sneered, but without any real heat in his words.

Lucius raised his glass at his best friend, but remained silent so Severus could explain.

Severus and Arsenius spent the next half hour regaling to the two wizards what had taken place in the interim since Severus' departure from Malfoy Manor. By the time they had finished, Lucius had quietly excused himself to go into the study to contemplate the situation while Harry was seething with rage. He knew Ron had drifted away from everyone over the years. He had heard about the fighting and marital problems from Severus and some of the Weasley clan, but he never expected Ron to hurt or even kill his own wife or child.

_This was not the same person he knew growing up. That Ronald Weasley would never do anything like this. That man was gone._

Harry stood up and walked over to where Ron's body lay paralysed. Severus and Arsenius watched him in silence.

Ron's eyes met Harry's gaze in silent intersession for help, but all Harry did was stand next to him staring down coldly, doing nothing as images of their friendship flicked through his mind. He did not even draw his wand. Many minutes passed before Harry finally dropped his head, a sadness filling his emerald eyes. Ron's eyes filled with hope thinking his mate was going to help him. _Surely he could see this was all a misunderstanding? They were best mates, right?_

Harry's mouth formed a thin line of distaste before he spoke. "You're not the same person I knew Ron. The Ronald Weasley I knew would never care about blood status! The Ronald Weasley I knew would never try to hurt his own child! The Ronald Weasley I knew would never hex his own wife with Sectumsempra!" Harry said with clear disgust. Ron's eyes flicked angrily to Severus as if to blame him for inventing the spell in the first place. Harry knew Ron well enough to understand what he meant, and gave his former best friend a bitter laugh.

"Yes, that's all you're good at isn't it? Casting blame on everyone else instead of facing your own pain or taking responsibility for it. Blaming Severus for creating the spell you _chose _to use is like blaming Ollivander for creating wands that can cast the killing curse. _It is our choices _that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities. I can't understand what you've become. Ron Weasley was my best friend, but that person is gone." Harry shook his head. Ron's eyes once again filled with hope that Harry might pull through for him, but his stomach plummeted to his feet when Harry turned away and went to Severus instead.

Severus moved toward the slightly shorter wizard still holding Rose protectively. The two powerful wizards faced each other and locked eyes, Harry's emerald gaze searched the deep grey, almost black of his former enemy and now friend, and found the answer he needed.

The irony of the situation with Ron, his former best friend and now enemy did not escape him.

"I don't care what you do with him Severus; just don't get yourself in a situation where you end up in Azkaban. Hermione and Rose need you, as do my family. I can't imagine telling my sons their godfather is locked up for murder. They have enough to deal with when Grandpa Xeno visits." Briefly he smiled wryly. "They need at least one _normal_ relative in their lives."

Severus' lips lifted up in a very faint smile, and he nodded. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out Ron's wand and handed it to Harry. "Keep this and take it to the Ministry to run a trace on the spells that have been used on his wand. Once the spells have been traced to Hermione's burned home as well as the Sectumsempra used on his ex-wife, it will not be me seeing the inside of a cell."

Harry took the wand and tucked it into his own robes. He had never thought being head of the Auror department would mean having to convict his former best friend, but as Severus had once told him long ago, nobody said life was fair. Severus spoke to everyone, "I think it is time for all of you to leave. Harry, take Hermione. Arsenius, you can take Rose." Severus motioned for his former mentor to take the sleeping girl from his arms.

Arsenius, who had been silently watching the interactions stepped forward and nodded toward Harry. "Mr. Potter, it is good to finally meet you. Severus has said many _interesting _things about you."

Harry grinned as he extended his hand toward the older Potions Master, who grasped it warmly with a smile.

"Master Jigger, the honour is mine, and I am sure whatever _interesting _things Severus has said about me, it's probably true."

"Indeed," Severus snorted as he carefully handed Rose to Arsenius. "I think it is wise you use the floo since Arsenius has never been to Grimmauld Place before."

Harry nodded as he gently picked up Hermione from the sofa. He smiled as her scent wafted over him. It had been a long time since he had smelled her scent and he realised how much he had missed her presence in his life.

The two men walked to the fireplace completely ignoring Ron's desperate and pleading eyes in his last bid for freedom.

Severus followed calling a barely audible, "Wait."

Summoning Rose's two fabric bunnies, he tucked them under the girl's sleeping arm, before brushing a strawberry curl from her forehead. Arsenius gave Severus a reassuring smile.

"They will be fine Severus. Deal with what you have to, and then come for them."

"Maser Jigger is right Severus. Luna and I have plenty of room, and the boys will be thrilled to see Rose. You know they will be safe at Grimmauld Place."

Severus looked at his former know-it-all, and before he could think twice upon it, he leaned over to place a small kiss on the top of her umber curls, before stepping away and nodding at Harry.

Harry did his best to hide his surprise at Severus' show of affection, before grabbing the floo powder from the tin on the hearth and stepping into the fireplace with Hermione.

He was about to call out _Grimmauld Place_, when he heard Severus speak one last time.

"Harry."

Harry looked back over his shoulder from the hearth.

"Thank you."

Knowing how difficult it was for the Potions Master to express such sentiment, he did not try to make any kind of a display out of it, and simply nodded his head in understanding.

Soon both men were gone, and Severus was left staring into the empty flames. Lucius had emerged from the open door to the hidden library and was leaning against the doorframe of his study, a wicked glint in his eyes. "So my friend, are you ready to have some fun? It has been a long time since we have had this kind of _entertainment_, and I have some _intriguing_ ideas for the _former Mr. Weasley."_

Finally letting loose the rage that had been boiling within him toward the former Weasley, Severus drew his ebony wand and cast his dark grey eyes toward the terrified man on the floor, a feral grin spreading over his thin lips.

"Oh yes, it has been a long time, Lucius. _Too long."_

**Author: Master Severus Snape, some modifications by etherian**

** A/N: Please note that from this point on I shall be making some edits and changes. Enjoy!**


	26. Chapter 26 Severus Falls

_**A/N: Trigger warning - torture. As requested by Nocturnus**_

Severus Snape stood like a dark sentinel, wand drawn, over the paralysed body of Ronald Bilius,(he had seen in the man's mind that he was no longer a Weasley since Molly had disowned him) who lay on his sitting room floor under The Full Body-Bind Curse. He saw the abject terror in Bilius' blue eyes and a delicious feeling of vengeful power coursed through his veins. It had been so long since Severus had allowed his darker side to take over, and it reminded him of what drew his passion to the Dark Arts to begin with. This time however, he had legitimate reason to use that knowledge to his fullest advantage.

Wizarding Law was clearly on _his_ side. The imbecile had chosen not only to break into his home, but had also sought to kill the woman he loved and do harm to her child- a child he knew he would willingly welcome as his own if given the opportunity one day.

Bilius, had threatened all that, and now he was going to pay, not by death, as he had promised both Hermione and Harry he would not cross that line and end up in Azkaban, or worse, shatter his own soul further than it already was.

There were other ways to seek retribution, and Severus knew by the end, Bilius would be begging him for death.

_A death he would not grant._

As Severus circled the immobilised wizard, a predatory glint in his dark grey eyes, Lucius Malfoy took out his wand and began casting silencing spells around the small home. He knew that most of the other dwellings on Spinner's End were abandoned, but he was not willing to take any chances. Being friends with the Potions Master for thirty one years gave him insight into what the man was planning.

"Severus, just remember the simpleton is not worth incarceration in Azkaban," Lucius said dryly as he tucked his wand back into his ebony cane. He sat down in the wingback chair by the fire in order to have a good view of the nitwit's destruction.

He also wanted to make sure he witnessed everything in case he needed to give testimony and memories for any trial that may occur as a result, whether it be Severus' or the former Weasley's.

"Do not concern yourself with trivialities Lucius," Severus said as he finally came to rest in front of the younger wizard whose eyes were locked onto his own, with stricken terror. "Death is too good for this prick," he hissed as he lowered his wand and quickly slashed his other hand through the air, powerful magic emanating from the silent movement.

Ron, his insides trembling with the stark knowledge of cruelty, prayed for blessed unconsciousness. A smirk of deadly sharpness from his old teacher, the Death Eater, made his stomach clench tightly with fear. Blackness swirled delectably at the edge of his consciousness, but was so very far out of reach.

"Ennervate," the silken tones purred maliciously just as Ron was immediately lifted from the ground and flying backward to collide painfully with the wall behind him, his bones making a sickening crunching noise on impact.

Lucius winced slightly before summoning the Firewhiskey and a glass.

He would probably have to replace Severus' bottle before the night was through, but the show would be worth it. It had been a long time since he'd had such entertainment, he may as well enjoy it.

_It wasn't as if the twit didn't deserve it._

_Severus glided towards the foolish boy. With a touch of his wand to Ron's temple, he once more purred, "Ennervate."_

Ron hung suspended, spread eagle against the wall. It felt as if invisible iron bands had shackled him in place. He had never seen such magic before and suddenly realised what a mistake it might have been to hunt down Hermione and Snape.

He wanted to desperately plead his case, but being shackled by invisible forces coupled with The Full Body-Bind Curse made him totally incapacitated. The only thing he could move were his eyes, which he now turned toward the Potions Master with all the pleading and remorse he could muster under the circumstances. The instant his blue eyes met the older wizard's dark foreboding gaze; he knew he stood no chance. Gripping terror unlike anything he felt since facing Voldemort, seeped into his aching body.

Severus walked slowly up to the younger wizard until they were once again nose to nose; Ron could feel his hot breath on his face. Severus stood there for so long, his deep grey eyes almost obsidian, boring into his own with such an intense hatred, he wished the git would simply kill him already. His heart was hammering against his chest so hard, he felt it was going to explode.

_Why the hell wasn't he doing anything?_

In that instant, Ron wished he had taken the thought back because suddenly Severus spoke. His quiet words striking fear into the deepest regions of his mind.

"You never deserved her," Severus' proclamation was like a liquid Avada Kedavra. "I never understood why she chained herself to an imbecile like you. But then I realised that as much as Hermione desired to believe the best in people, she also did not believe that of herself. You were her punishment for her shortcomings," Severus hissed as he came even closer to the bound wizard. Severus tilted his head so that his words came out as a cold shudder against the former Weasley's ears. "You think I do not know an abused woman when I see one? My mother was abused and raped by my entire childhood. It took me a while to see through Hermione's well practised Glamours, but once I saw, I _knew_. You have neglected, beaten and violated a woman who was devoted to you, heart, body and mind. You put all the blame on the death of your son on Hermione knowing full well that Dragon Pox, especially in one so young, is often lethal and quick. Even the healers at St Mungo's said the child never had a chance. You would not listen to that however, because using your wife as a murderer was too good of an excuse to go out and fill your bed with any willing witch time and again, wasn't it?" Severus snarled with disgust, as he slid his wand up Ron's chest like a blunt knife until it lodged against the younger man's throat.

"Meanwhile, your wife slowly sank into self loathing and despair as doubt and loneliness tore at her very soul. But that just was not enough for you was it? You had to punish your daughter as well simply because she was born a Squib, something she had no control over. I thought you of all people would understand what prejudice and bias have done to our world. _You_ fought in the war and were part of the blessed _Golden Trio_. Did that mean nothing to you? It is obvious you are far more stupid that I ever imagined. How you are Molly Weasley's son, I have no idea..." he pulled back and his smile was completely without warmth. "Ah, but then again, you are no longer a Weasley are you…_Mr. Billius_," Severus mocked as a malicious sneer spread over his face.

Ron's breathing hitched in anger at Severus' words, but still he could do nothing more than glare at the man in front of him.

Severus dug his his wand deeper into the younger man's throat, his dark eyes narrowing into black slits as his voice dropped into a deadly whisper.

"You are about to find out what the true meaning of the word _rape_ is _Mr. Bilius__. _I do not have to touch your body to violate you. You will learn what remorse is, or lose your mind trying."

Severus stepped back so quickly, his robes snapped around him in a fury of black. Drawing all his magic to him, he emitted a low growl as he raised his wand and pointed it directly at the bastard that had destroyed the lives of the two people he held most dear. The deep grey of his irises all but disappeared as he unleashed his full fury at last.

**"Legilimens!"**

Ron's eyes dilated in horror and rolled to the back of his sockets, as the world around him exploded.

Severus slammed full force into his mind and tore through it like a massive tidal wave. Image after image swam across Ron's vision as Severus pummelled his way deeper and deeper into his memories, tearing down every wall along the 's body started to shake of its own volition as he was forced to relive all his deepest failures as a husband, father, son and friend.

_Ron refusing to acknowledge Rose year after year-_

_Hermione begging him not to leave her time and again-_

_Ron taking his wife against her will, choosing to enter her without arousal knowing it would hurt her more-_

_Ron holding his dead son Hugo against his chest and wishing it were Rose that had died in his place-_

_Ron blaming Hermione repeatedly that she had killed Hugo even though he knew it wasn't true-_

_Ron striking Hermione so hard she lay crumpled against the wall after he had found out she had been writing Severus Snape again-_

_Ron telling Harry their friendship was over after he had decided to name one of his twins after the greasy git-_

_Ron clutching his mother's arm so hard he had left a bruise after she had disowned him for what he had done to Hermione and Rose-_

_Ron taking pleasure night after night with any beautiful witch he could ensnare to forget the pain of his hateful wife, dead son and Squib daughter-_

_Setting Hermione's home on fire-_

_Striking the bitch down with Sectumsempra-_

The images came faster and faster as Severus tore through Ron's memories, repeatedly using his own horrific actions as a bludger to the younger man's mind.

A sickening green glow swirled around the Potions Master as sweat rolled off his brow and dripped from his hooked nose. His breathing was ragged and his wand shook as he used all his magic and energy to demolish Bilius' mind, forcing him to relive every atrocity he had ever committed over the years.

Lucius set down his drink, concern furrowing his brow. He had seen Severus do this many times before as a Death Eater when ordered by The Dark Lord to retrieve information from prisoners and Muggles alike. He knew it was something his friend detested doing, but working for a madman left him no choice.

This time however, Severus _did_ have a choice, and he could clearly see that in his anger, Severus was rapidly losing control.

Lucius glanced over at the former Weasley and saw trickles of blood streaming down his eyes, nose and ears. His eyes were rolled behind his head and his body was convulsing violently even through The Full Body-Bind Curse. He knew if he did not stop Severus now, the boy would be dead within minutes.

"Severus, it is enough. Let the boy go," Lucius said quietly.

Severus not hearing, or not caring, continued his assault as if Lucius never spoke.

Knowing his friend was far too gone; he released his wand from its ebony cane and pointed it at his best friend, hoping he would not be hexed too badly for this.

"Expelliarmus!"

Severus's wand immediately flew into Lucius' hand and all contact between the former Weasley and the Potions Master was broken. The younger wizard was still bound to the wall, but his eyes were closed and trails of blood dripped from his face and trickled in rivulets down his body to the floor.

"Lucius, what the hell," Severus snarled as he threw himself upon his friend and slammed him against the wall. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?" he spat viciously.

Lucius' light grey eyes at first registered shock as he hit the wall, but immediately narrowed in anger as he gripped Severus' shoulders and flung him back with such force; the spent Potions Master stumbled across the coffee table and hit the floor hard. Lucius quickly stood over him, Severus' wand in one hand, and his own pointed at his friend's chest. He hated to do it, but if he could not make Severus see reason, he knew he would have to stun him.

"Do not make me do this old friend. You have done enough. I am quite sure that _Mr. Bilius_ has seen the error of his ways, and if not, that is what Azkaban is for. If you go any further Severus, the boy will be dead. Look at him," Lucius said nodding toward the unconscious form still shackled magically to the wall.

Severus turned his bloodshot eyes toward the bleeding wizard and realised just how far his anger had pushed him. He closed his eyes and held his throbbing head in his hands. It was like a nightmare that had spiralled out of control. The more memories he had uncovered the angrier he had become. Ronald Bilius had done far more to Hermione and Rose then he had ever suspected. The more he discovered the more he had wanted to make the wizard pay for all the pain he had caused to those around him.

_Yes, he had wanted to kill him._

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see familiar grey eyes meeting his own. There was no anger or irritation in them, just simple understanding.

"I would have done the same thing had this occurred to those I love. I do not fault you my friend. I just do not want to see _you _behind bars when it is that half-wit who should be the one seeing the inside of a cell, and mark my words Severus, he will," Lucius said as he handed Severus back his wand.

Severus nodded as he took the wand, and tucked it into his sleeve. "Thank you Lucius."

The two men regarded each other for a moment, thirty one years of mutual understanding passing between them before Lucius stood up and offered the exhausted Potions Master a hand. He knew how draining Legilimency was, especially with the level Severus had been using. It would be days before he fully recovered.

Severus took his hand and stood up, but a wave of dizziness hit him, and he stumbled, grasping the back of his wingback chair for support. He closed his eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning before he pulled out his wand.

Lucius stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Severus, you need to sit down and rest. Actually lying down would be most preferable, but I know how stubborn you are. I am going to Floo call Potter to come with the Aurors to collect Bilius. You have all the evidence you need to convict him. Let the proper authorities handle it now."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose trying to get his vision back into focus. "You may Floo call Harry after I do one more thing."

"Severus, no. Whatever it is, let _me_ do it. Your magic is weakened because of the extent of the Legilimency performed. Besides, I have hardly had any fun tonight. Why is it fair for you to have all the glory," Lucius intoned with mock indignation. He would do anything at this point to get his friend to sit down. He was looking paler by the minute.

Severus, finally getting his dizziness under control, turned to face the older wizard. Lucius was shocked to note an almost pleading in the deep grey of his eyes. "Lucius, you have not seen the horrors he inflicted upon Hermione for almost seven years. You have also not seen the hate and loathing he made his daughter endure. I know better than anyone what it is like to have a father wish you had never existed. I never want him to make any child feel like that again. I need to do this one last thing. It is personal. Please understand."

Lucius stared at his friend's pale face and shaking hands, sweat dotting his brow, and knew he was not going to last much longer. He should have said no and taken his wand. At this point, he knew he would not have much problem subduing the younger wizard considering how he was on the verge of collapse, but something deep inside him resonated. This was a man hell bent on protecting those closest to him, and he would be a fool to try and stop him. He remembered only too well how helpless he had felt over Draco and Narcissa during the war knowing he could do nothing to protect them. Was it any wonder that his wife had left him shortly afterwards?

Lucius lowered his hand and let go of the Potions Master nodding.

"Make it quick Severus. I am Floo calling Potter in one minute and not a second less."

Severus gave Lucius a curt nod of understanding before making his way to the younger wizard still bound magically against the wall.

Flashes of the incidents he had seen in Bilius' mind fanned his anger into an inferno. Dizziness once again threatened to sweep him away, but he needed to do this before it overcame him. Raising his wand, he pointed it straight at the desired location.

"Never again Ronald Bilius will you take another woman against her will or create a child only to make them feel unwanted or unloved. I will be damned to hell before you procreate again- _Permanens Castrati_!"

In one sweep, Ronald Bilius, Formerly known as Ronald Bilius Weasley collapsed on the ground, all magical bonds released, _castrated__._

Severus fell to his knees, the last of his magic spent. Darkness played around the edges of his vision as he heard the anxious voices of Harry Potter and Lucius Malfoy sweep into the room. Slowly, he buckled to the ground, his wand slipping from his grip and rolling onto the wooden floor.

"_Hermione."_

It was but a whisper that escaped his lips, before blissful darkness finally surrounded and claimed him.

Author: Master Severus Snape


	27. Chapter 27 First Kiss

_**A/N: Consider this very long chapter a gift - for that last chapter that was so scary.**_

Harry had left Hermione and Rose and Arsenius secure at Grimmauld Place. He stepped through his Floo and back to Spinner's End just in time to see Severus waver and fall slowly to his floor in a graceless heap. Lucius had caught Severus under his arms and Harry rushed over gracefully in time to take the burden from the older man. Harry then dropped carefully all the way to the floor with Severus' head in his lap.

"Oh Severus," crooned Harry as he gently brushed tendrils of sweat-dampened hair off the man's forehead. "What have you done?" asked Harry of the godfather to his twins.

Lucius leaned over the stricken, younger wizard. "Magical exhaustion, I wager, Potter. Had I not stopped him, that one," Lucius pointed with the head of his ebon cane at Bilius, "would be dead."

Harry's lips thinned as he glanced at Ron who hung limply from the wall. He had loved Ron as a brother, once. As children Ron's faults had been more forgiveable. As an adult he became the personification of all they had fought against. Never had he thought Ron would ever be capable of murder, though, and he had seen the shape Hermione had been in when she was brought to his house; _Ron had tried to kill her!_ Harry touched the back of his hand to the clammy yet sweat-beaded forehead. "Revenge, Severus, but not at the expense of your life," the young Auror chided miserably. "We need _you_… Hermione needs _you_…"

"Potter," interrupted Lucius. "Severus _needs_medical attention. Perhaps you should take him to St. Mungo's?"

Harry shook his head. He lowered Severus' head, and then rose to his feet. He spoke curtly. "No. We agreed that if anything happened he should go to Grimmauld Place. Luna is well versed in Emergency Healing. She's already taking care of Hermione."

"Then he should go, should he not?" urged the older wizard. "I do believe you told me that two of your associates would be here, soon? I think it would not do Severus any favours if he were found injured from his own revenge."

"No, no it wouldn't," agreed Harry. Even after all these years he was more aware than most, being an Auror, how some in the Ministry still wanted to see the murderer of Albus Dumbledore in Azkaban. "Aurors Hoss and Blocker will be arriving via Apparition, Lucius," began Harry. "Auror Blocker is going to take a copy of your memories. Show them Ron, if you would? I'm taking Severus to Luna."

"Really, Potter, you ought to…" Lucius had hesitated, and spoke too late. The young Auror was already gone through the Floo with Severus. "…stay," he ended with a shrug.

* * *

Potter's associates had not moved about Severus' home with any sort of finesse, which was ridiculous since their quarry had been trussed up like a blood sausage for the taking. Lucius had shown them to Bilius the moment the two Auror "_bricks_" had arrived on the steps of the house at Spinner's End.

Later, as he surveyed the Auror-induced damage to the living room, Lucius recalled Potter's shrill voice chastising the blonde and florid Auror Hoss, as he returned once more, stumbling, through the Floo. The idiot had been throwing precious books to the floor as if he were playing in a sandbox. Lucius was helpless to do anything while his memories of the incident were being copied by the pinch-eyed Auror Blocker. The Auror had taken his memories, and quickly reviewed them in a portable pensieve of questionable quality. With the last one, the muscle-bound wizard cringed in sympathetic pain as he witnessed Severus castrating Bilius. Blocker had then mumbled something about '_Professor Snape is still scary as hell_'.

The Aurors, Potter, and a whimpering Bilius were finally gone with the afternoon. The stormy grey of the sky, seen through a parting of long curtains, had gained the tinge of oncoming dusk. Lucius was left with the mess of Severus' living room (thankfully the Aurors had kept their gargantuan enthusiasm to that room only). With a wave of his wand he returned tossed books to their shelves, repaired broken glasses, bottles, and other oddities, and straightened one painting on the wall that was as still as any Muggle painting. Another swipe of his wand did away with various spilled liquids that stained furniture and floor. Grumbling to himself that Severus rightfully needed a house elf, the aristocratic wizard righted the old wingback chair and settled into it. It was a comfortable old thing; moreso than any of Narcissa's designer made furniture in the manor was. Perhaps that was one reason Lucius always took the chair as his own when he visited Spinner's End.

For a moment only, he allowed himself to catch his breath, and then he heaved himself up to his feet, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and was finally on his way to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Hermione stood in front of Luna with her blouse, now repaired, on the bed nearby. She flexed her shoulders and winced at the tightness of the skin on her back. She stared into the mirror but did not see her reflection. It had been at least an hour since she and Rose had been delivered through the Floo. Rose was being entertained by the twins while Luna had continued to attend to Hermione's injuries. Besides the main one, she had various scrapes and bruises from falling after being struck with the curse. Those were inconsequential injuries. Nothing more than she had ever received after working an afternoon in her garden… _her garden_… _her home_… gone.

And Severus was exacting a revenge upon an intruder. Hermione snorted softly; unaware of a cooling balm that Luna was tapping down the new scar. Had Ron not been so stupid as to break into Severus' home, she knew the wizard would have hunted Ron down. A hunt that would have ended with someone – _Severus, most likely_– in prison.

Hermione was both tired and angry beyond belief at her ex-husband, but now she just wanted him gone. Just within the last few days Hermione had begun to see, and to feel, a difference in her relationship with Severus. Yes, they were partners in a business, but with the introduction of Rose it seemed that something within the Potions Master was beginning to thaw. Hermione was certain that Rose was weaving her own little charming magic on the older man, but there was a deeper magic arising between herself and the older wizard.

_He held her. He comforted her. He protected her. He was angry on her behalf._

When Ron had held her, it was to squeeze her as though she were nothing more than a marshmallow. Ron's idea of comfort was a pat on the head, or to blame her. And, protecting her? How often at those endless Quidditch parties Ron had dragged her to, had she become an object of ridicule? Never had he been angry for her. Ron had never defended her honour after having quipped once, in school, that 'Hermione can take care of herself'.

Hermione felt the bile rise when she realised, yet again, that she would not blame Severus if he _did_ kill Ron. _Her ex-husband had tried to kill her!_ Ron knew that the effects of _Sectumsempra_were nearly irreversible. This much the friends had learned at Harry's feet their last year in Hogwarts when he had nearly killed Draco Malfoy with the same spell. Hermione confessed to herself that she wanted Severus to do no more than to make the vile redhead hurt from some good old-fashioned fisticuffs.

There would neither be fists, nor killing, Hermione knew and deep inside she wondered how Severus fared. Suddenly she flinched as she was brought back to the present. She could now feel a cold balm that caused her a chill along her spine.

"Is it horrid, Luna?" asked Hermione worriedly.

The two women were locked into Luna and Harry's bedroom so that Luna could examine her work on Hermione's back. Luna tapped her chin, and glowered at the remaining silverish mark, and the faint pink, puckered skin.

"I wish I could vanish it entirely, Hermione," sighed Luna. She ignored the other woman's shiver as she traced the scar. "This balm is something I've been working on to reduce curse scarring further than what Dittany is able to do. Of course, without an initial application of Dittany, this is useless." Luna hummed for a moment as she tapped a bit more of the balm near the tailbone of Hermione's spine. "There is a lot that we can do for curse scars, but we are not yet able to eradicate them. Flex again," she ordered.

Hermione pulled her arms across her breasts, and glanced plaintively at her brassiere peeking beneath her blouse on the bed to her right. She felt awfully exposed, even though Luna was a Healer. As the skin across her back pulled tightly, she winced again at the odd feel.

Luna smiled and patted her back. "You really do have the loveliest skin, Hermione. Like a 20 year old."

Hermione leaned over, grabbed her bra, and began to put it on rather stiffly. "Don't lie to me, Luna. I never had nice skin even when I was 20." For a moment she touched her cheek recalling a bad bout of spots when she turned 16 and came into womanhood… and changes in her hormones. Her face, neck and shoulders had not survived the acne well and underneath a Glamour that Parvati taught her, were the tell-tale pocks of long healed acne. She had been more than pleased when the Glamour fell by accident, and it was Madame Pomfrey who showed her, with the application of a Healing Charm, how those scars were easily vanished.

Replacing her brassiere, Hermione sighed and began to button her blouse. Luna was puttering around doing something else. Hermione, reminded of that time in her youth, also recalled that Ron could never appreciate what she had finally been rid of because he had never seen her without the Glamour covering her spots and pocks before being healed. "I think he was dating Lavender, then."

"Oh! Dear Lavender!" mused Luna. "She's doing so well in the States with her family. She's pregnant, again!" Lavender Brown had been brutally disfigured by Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf, during the Final Battle. Her nurse, in St. Mungo's, a teaching student from America, fell in love with the girl beyond her scars and they had both returned there as soon as Lavender had been released.

Hermione turned as she was now "put back together". "That's four now, isn't it?" Luna simply smiled. Hermione smiled too, but shook her head. Touching her belly she doubted she'd ever see another baby again. Hugo had been a rough, but worth it, birth.

Looking at her more womanish figure Hermione thought back to those days when all she wanted to do was academia. She had never wanted boyfriends, marriage, or babies to interfere with her learning. With the birth of Rose, Hermione had discovered that education did not end with the arrival of a baby. Ron never knew it, but he left her and her newborn alone so often that she had no other recourse but to study. With Rose, sometimes literally, on her hip, Hermione expanded her knowledge of Charms and Transfiguration. She also studied runes and learned that they held more properties of magic than she had realised in school. Runes could be sewn into baby blankets to counteract colic, aid in teething, and sleeping well. Runes embedded in transfigured objects could bind an object to its new properties. Hermione had sewn the curtains in her house so she could add the runes that would promote a harmonic atmosphere in the home.

"Ladies? I could use your help down here!" Arsenius sounded rather frantic. Both Hermione and Luna left the bedroom in a rush. When they arrived down in the living room they found the older Potions Master awkwardly cradling an unconscious Severus. Hermione pushed past Luna and fell to her knees beside the prone man.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"Mr. Potter brought him through the Floo and told me to call for you, Madame," he gestured at Luna. "He needs to deal with paperwork for several hours and asked that you call him at his office if there are any changes."

"Why is he on the floor?" demanded Hermione. Arsenius frowned at the accusation in the young witch's voice.

"Severus is a _bit _heavier than a lead-lined #9 pewter cauldron, Miss Granger! I cannot lift him."

Luna had stepped up beside Hermione and began waving her hand over the prone wizard. "Don't move him, yet," she said softly. Her lips silently murmured a Diagnostic Spell. "It's magical exhaustion." She leaned over to pull Hermione to her feet as she levitated the Potions Master. "I'm out of Magical Boost potion so let's put him in the guestroom, and then I'll go down to my lab and brew it."

As soon as Severus was laid upon the guest bed Hermione ushered Arsenius and Luna out of the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Tentatively, she reached out her small hand to trail her fingertips up the buttons of his frock coat until they reached his cravat. Untying the swatch of black silk, she carefully draped it over the wooden headboard, almost with reverence, before unbuttoning the first three buttons of his white linen shirt in order to make him more comfortable. Hermione's hands trembled under the simple ministrations, a blush rising to her cheeks. She chastised herself for feeling like a silly schoolgirl, yet she could not deny that Severus had always had this effect on her, and it was something that was only getting stronger over time. She had tried very hard to deny her growing feelings for the older wizard, deeming it as nothing more than mutual admiration and sincere gratitude, yet deep down inside, she knew she was lying.

Feeling awkward and unsure, yet loathe to distance herself by sitting in a chair, Hermione finally allowed her heart to override her mind and lay down beside Severus. She wriggled her way under his arm so that her head now rested gently on his shoulder. Taking a calming breath, she lightly draped her arm over his chest, and smiled as she felt the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing. She turned her head to admire the profile of the sleeping wizard. His light snores tickled her cheek in a delicious way, and she sighed wishing she could do this while Severus was conscious. She knew he had feelings for her despite anything he might deny. Why else would he fight for her and Rose, or give up the privacy he treasured by sharing his home? The man had even risked Azkaban for her and Rose's protection!

Suddenly a memory sprang to mind of the night Severus had brought her and Rose to Spinner's End after Ron had burned down their home. Her breath caught as she remembered the Firewhiskey they had shared by the fire, and the short but intense moment that had passed between them, searing itself into her memory. Their eyes had met, and she saw flashes of the deeper emotions that ran under his habitual mask of disinterest. He had traced her bottom lip and cheek before suddenly pulling away, as if nothing had ever happened. She had tried to bury her hurt by telling herself they were both wrung out by the day's events and the incident was spurred on by the Firewhiskey, but she knew she was only fooling herself. Severus had barely poured them a finger's worth, not even enough to get Luna, who was a lightweight when it came to anything with alcohol, tipsy.

No, she knew there was something more between them, but Severus was a deeply scarred individual and had many barriers to break down. Was she any different really? After everything Ron had done to her, she knew she had more than her fair share of walls surrounding her heart, but for the first time in her life, she wanted to lower them and let this man, this wizard, who had risked his life time and again to protect her, and now that extended to her own daughter as well, inside.

_The question was, would he ever allow her to enter his?_

She breathed against his cheek and brought her hand up to his lips. Lightly she touched her fingertips to his lower lip, and ran a thumb over the slightly chapped skin in the same way he had done to her at Spinner's End.

"Thank you, Severus, I am not leaving you. I will be here when you awaken. Sleep now," she whispered against his ear.

* * *

Tired… he was so very tired… his mind withdrew from the horror of Weasley's memories… soon, it ran… carried by a cool breeze his spirit fled the world of reality to settle down amongst the pleasures of dreams…

_She was the Goddess of Beauty_  
_Her presence blessed the magic of his garden_  
_Yet when she turned_  
_In her arms she held the small child their love had made_

Hermione, he whispered

_Wherever her foot touched the ground, a flower would blossom, a vine would stretch out, and an acorn became a tree. The breeze rustled the leaves and the heads of the flowers and their combined perfume was a heady drug that filled his senses…_

_Her lips touched his cheek… her voice caressed his ear… her touch warmed his soul… her love drenched him…_

Hermione…!

_His heart skipped a beat as the perfume of the flora was struck down harshly. Flames licked the flowers, devouring the blooms, the vines shrivelled, the trees became ash… and there was smoke… everywhere…_

Hermione!

_His voice shouted with pain as he heard a scream. Beneath her scream was the wail of their child… his heart beat so quickly he was sure he would die, but he would not… could not…_

Hermione!

Severus snapped awake so quickly that he very nearly pushed the _real_Hermione from the bed. Sweat drenched his body, and his limbs were shaking so violently the whole bed was vibrating. As quickly as the young witch had awakened, she pulled Severus close without even thinking twice about her actions, drawing him back down beside her.

"It's all right, Severus," she cooed softly, trying to calm him. She knew he was not totally coherent at the moment, or he would have undoubtedly tried to push her away. "I'm alright and I'm here."

"The flames…!" his body shuddered at the memory and he unconsciously wrapped her in his own embrace, pulling her tightly against him. Her hair smelled of citrus and he buried his nose into her soft curls, inhaling deeply, praying he could get lost in her sweet scent and drive out the horrid visions that were running rampant in his mind, not only from the dream, but from the Legilimency he had used on Weasley.

"Weasley will never hurt you again," Severus promised over and over like a prayer begging for redemption.

Hermione cradled him, carding one hand through his damp hair, while the other ran soothing circles across his back, until he fell asleep once more. Vowing to stay awake so nothing should disturb his slumber Hermione shifted fractionally, and kissed his temple. She felt very protective over the Potions Master, and her own guilt gnawed at her knowing that he was experiencing this pain in part because of her own problems with Ron. Her deep hatred for her ex-husband rose, and she made a vow to herself that no matter what happened, she would never allow him to hurt Rose or Severus ever again. She was about to settle herself more comfortably against the older wizard's sleeping form when a firm knock sounded on the closed door. Awkwardly she turned her head, but said nothing. She did not want to disturb Severus from his slumber.

Slowly the door opened and Luna peeked her head in. Seeing the shadowy outlines on the bed, she slipped in and touched Hermione's shoulder. She placed a narrow bottle on the table by the bed. "Magical Boost Potion," Luna whispered. "When he awakens he is to drink the whole thing."

"Where is Rose?" asked Hermione softly. Next to her Severus stirred in his sleep. Automatically the young witch gently rubbed his chest in comforting circles before unconsciously brushing a few strands of his dark hair behind his ear.

"Downstairs," hummed Luna, a knowing smile dancing across her lips, "playing the perfect hostess to Lucius. She had dinner with the twins so I'll put her to bed, soon." With a whirl, Luna was through the door and it was silently closed.

"Hostess? To Lucius?" hissed Hermione. When Severus shifted again, she heard him whisper her name in his sleep. Hermione softly touched his lips with her fingers. "I'm here, Severus. Sleep. I won't be going anywhere." _Even if you do push me away when you wake_, she thought with a sigh.

* * *

Earlier, after Severus and Hermione had been settled in the guest bedroom, Luna had set out dinner for Rose and her sons, and then retreated to her lab to brew the needed potion. Young Severus was the first to finish eating and he quickly made his way down to his mother's lab to assist. Remus and Rose played Exploding Snap until they were interrupted by a knock at the front door to Grimmauld Place. Remus motioned for Rose to stay in the living room while he ran to the front door. He opened it and gave a wide-eyed look to the tall, pale haired man with grey eyes on the doorstep. Remus knew instantly this was Draco's father, but he had never met Lucius Malfoy.

"Yes, Sir?"

Lucius glanced down at the smaller, paler version of Potter. The boy stood as fully as possible in the doorway, a short sentinel who would protect the inhabitants of the house. He smirked and felt his heart calming. The boy reminded him of Draco when he was that small; a brash and brave young boy.

Leaning slightly on his snake-headed cane, he regarded the youngster seriously. "I am Lucius Malfoy. I am seeking my friend, Severus Snape. Did your father bring him here?"

"Daddy brought my godfather here but he's sick," blurted Remus a little too cooperatively. He had not moved his stance, and had, in fact, firmed it.

"Yes, I am sure he is. Might I see him, young Master Potter?" Lucius dropped into a more formal mien to put the boy more off guard.

Remus giggled. "I'm not a master! I'm just Remus, silly!"

Lucius smirked, again, as he observed the child's body relax and stand down from his aggressive pose. He chuckled softly, at himself. "Silly. So I am, Remus. May I enter?"

Remus nodded and ushered Mr. Malfoy into the old house. Lucius had to admit to himself that he was a bit chagrined to find that it had not changed since the day he had come to ask permission to court Narcissa, the youngest daughter in the Black family.

"Uncle Severus is asleep, but you can wait, if you want, Mr. Malfoy," said Remus leading the older man to the living room where he and Rose had been playing. Rose was nowhere in sight. Remus did not know that the small girl, wary now of everyone, had ducked down in a niche between a second sofa in the living room, and a bookcase that held all of Luna's Healer books, and old Quibbler articles.

"If Severus is asleep, Remus, perhaps your mother is available to speak to me," stated Lucius as he seated himself in a velvet blue chair that was so worn the velvet nap was nearly satiny smooth. It did not match the better looking pieces and he wondered if this particular sofa was for the children to abuse with their play.

"I'll get mum. Watch out for Rose, though. She sort of disappeared when you arrived, Mr. Malfoy." Before Lucius could reply, the boy was through the arched doorway of the living room, and gone.

Lucius looked around the old room. The wallpaper and the furniture had changed. The furniture was mostly Transfigured pieces anchored by nearly imperceptible runes. As well versed in runes as he was, Lucius knew precisely where to look and he admired the job that had been done on most of the pieces. The anchoring runes, a simple scribed combination of three runes that represented 'home', 'permanence', and 'comfort', was often used by a Master of Transfiguration to keep an object from reverting to its original state at an inopportune moment. He was not aware that either of the Potters were masters, but to be honest, he did not know them well.

Despite these little changes, the carpet was the same but it had been brutally cleaned and the colour had been changed from its once sickly Avada Kedavra green to a warmer maroon. Lucius recalled that the old living room of his ex-wife's childhood home had been about as inviting as an Acromantula spider. Only the matriarch, Walburga Black, had been alive when he expressed his desire to court the icy, yet pretty, youngest Black daughter. Walburga Black was not aging well since the death of her husband five years previous, and she had resembled an intimidating hag in expensive mourning robes.

Lucius recalled how he had sat upon one of the silk covered chairs nervously awaiting the presence of Walburga Black. Bellatrix had been in the room, and had flirted shamelessly with the young wizard. Frankly, the woman who was already gaining a reputation of vicious madness, disgusted Lucius. He shuddered and thought he ought to leave and look in upon Severus when daylight returned.

A small hand touching his own gloved one startled him. Despite his initial reaction the hand remained and he was looking down into the wide blue eyes of a pretty child with curls the colour of winter strawberries. He smiled faintly.

"Do you need some tea?" asked Rose.

Lucius nodded. "I would most certainly enjoy a cup, Little Miss."

Rose smiled brightly, and then ran out of the living room. She returned moments later with a large tea tray holding a teapot of blue ceramic, and two matching mugs. Afraid that she might tip forward with her heavy burden, Lucius immediately had his wand out to levitate the tray to a nearby table just for tea things.

"Thank you, Sir!" Rose smiled again.

"It appeared rather burdensome for a young lady to be carrying," replied Lucius as he resumed his chair. "It was the courteous thing to do and no gratitude is required."

Rose deftly poured the tea and then carried one of the blue mugs over to Lucius. He accepted the mug, sniffed the tea – an aromatic decoction of chamomile, cinnamon, and orange – and did not sip until Rose was seated on the sofa with her own blue mug of tea.

"Aunt Luna made the little cakes. Aren't they pretty?" she pointed to a selection of six little petit fours.

"Yes. They are. Are you the older Miss Granger's daughter?" Lucius asked politely.

"Rosie Athene Weasley," she declared proudly. "But, I don't want to be a Weasley anymore because my daddy burned down our house and all my drawings."

"So I am aware, Miss… Granger would it be, then?" he asked and sipped at the fragrant tea.

Rose nodded. "Who are you?"

Lucius gave the child a minor, courtly nod. "I am Lucius Malfoy. So, do you know how my friend, your professor, is?"

Rose nodded as she blew a cooling breath over the surface of her tea. "Mummy's sleeping with the professor…" Lucius began to cough through a smirk. Rose glowered, and finished, "be_cause _he's sick. Dunderhead," the little girl muttered into her mug of tea.

To Rose's further irritation Lucius laughed richly as he pictured Severus' dignity compromised so deliciously!

* * *

Severus woke briefly – unaware of whether hours had passed, or minutes. He did not immediately sense Hermione beside him, but she had stirred from her light sleep just as he did. Before he knew what was happening, his head was being tipped back and the chalky and bitter Magical Booster Potion was in his mouth, and slipping down his throat. He gagged and gave Hermione a glare that would have pierced even the darkest of rooms.

"How do you feel, Severus?" asked Hermione in a hush influenced by the darkness. Severus was no longer wrapped in her arms as she had loosened her grip the instant she felt the wizard stirring. She still lay close to him, but she made sure her body was not touching his at all.

_She did not want him to throw her out just yet._

"As though a herd of Hippogriffs ran over me," he intoned coolly, far too conscious of the younger witch's alluring nearness to him. What in Merlin's name was she doing lying on the bed so close? He stretched his aching arms, and as delicately as possible, moved himself to the far side of the bed. All the exertion created an excruciating pounding that throbbed in his skull. That pain unfortunately toyed with the bile in his empty stomach and he immediately turned away from Hermione and curled himself into the kidney bean pose of a fetus, and felt the nausea slightly abate. He wished for nothing more than to feel her cool arms around him, yet... that would invite the start of something he was reluctant to admit to.

"You need not remain, Hermione. A few more hours sleep and I shall be fine," he said as distantly as he could, his deep voice partially muffled by his pose, and the wall he faced. He felt a sudden, overwhelming impetus to push her away as far as possible before he broke, and begged her to stay with him.

Hermione was not stupid. She knew what he was doing. It was the same thing that happened every time they came face to face with the barriers that were standing between them. She'd had enough of it. The man had sought retribution and nearly got himself thrown into Azkaban for her and her daughter, and he thought he was just going to just push her away?

_Not this time._

Gathering her courage, and mentally lowering the walls around her own heart, she slid her body against his, spooning him from behind. She felt his body instantly stiffen at her touch, but she ignored it, and wrapped her arms around his unmoving form.

"I told you earlier I was not leaving, and I assure you I meant it. You've done too much for Rose and me to tell me you don't care. You've proven it too many times," she said as she slipped her hand over his larger one and laced their fingers. She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew she had struck a chord. She prayed that he would not hear how hard her heart was hammering against her chest as she buried her face into the lank locks of his dark hair.

"Please Severus," she whispered softly into his ear, her voice tight, almost begging. "Don't push me away. I want to be here. With you."

Severus shut his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing, willing his mind to gain back the control it was rapidly losing. It was habit, he knew, this need to push away those who tried to get close to him. His treacherous, inner voice caressed his turbulent emotions, _this is dangerous. Do you really wish to destroy the friendship you have by expecting more?_

"Severus," she whispered into his ear. The brush of her warm breath felt like the summer breeze and he felt his resolve trying to slip.

_You are old... unwanted, despised... she really does not want to be tied down by your needy desires..._

Hermione pressed herself closer and removed her hand from his only to have him suddenly capture it again. She felt a desperation to his pulsing grip.

"Severus," she again breathed against his ear. "I want to be here. Not out of obligation... for what you've done for me and my daughter, but because I want to be here. " Hermione kissed the shell of his ear, and impossibly her voice insinuated itself into his very bones. "I want... to be... with **you**."

_Something in him broke like a dam that had been stoppered to overflowing for too long._

He brought the hand that was threaded with his own up to his lips and reverently kissed the pad of each finger before turning it over and placing a warm, open mouth kiss on her palm.

Hermione gasped and felt her entire being melt at the sensations he was placing on her hand. She closed her eyes savouring the completely alien feeling of being wanted and desired. Ron had never made her feel like this in their entire seven years of marriage.

_How could she have been so blind?_

Severus trailed teasingly delicate kisses from her palm to the softly pulsating pressure point on her wrist which he gently brushed with his lips before suckling. Her soft skin tasted sweet like clover honey and he wanted nothing more than to explore and worship the dips and curves of this beautiful woman, but he knew it would be a long time before they would even be near that point in their relationship. He understood they were both severely damaged individuals when it came to matters of the heart, and building that kind of trust would take time. Still, he felt something flutter across his withered heart that he had not felt since the fall of The Dark Lord.

_Hope._

Slowly, he turned in her embrace so he could finally face the woman he knew held claim to his heart, and had for a very long time, he realised. His deep grey eyes smouldered with an intense heat as he took in the beautiful witch's flushed face and heavy breathing. How Bilius did not find this utterly breathtaking woman gorgeous was beyond his comprehension.

He had never deserved her, and in many ways, he was almost perversely glad that Bilius had lost her. She belonged to him now, and he would make certain that not a day would pass that he did not show her in some small way, how beautiful she was to him.

_Will you? _Questioned the voice of his doubt and trepidation from deep within. Hermione's touch to his cheek, feather light, yet sure of her intentions, squashed that doubting voice into silence.

Hermione saw the dark glimmer of arousal in Severus' gaze, but there was also the affection of someone who wanted more than what she could offer in bed. His gaze then swept delightedly over her body, and Hermione shivered at the beauty she saw in his eyes.

_He thinks I am beautiful_, her own mind murmured in pleasure.

She twined a hand into his hair and pulled his face so close to her own, their noses touched.

"Severus," she whispered, as she ran a small pink tongue over her dry lips.

He rubbed her nose affectionately with his own before pulling back slightly. He saw her frown, but quickly silenced her by placing a finger upon her lips.

"Please let me speak, Hermione. This is not easy for me," he said carefully, waiting for her permission to continue. He saw the fear of rejection in her eyes, but she nodded as if in defeat, her head lowering.

Gently, he placed a finger to lift her chin so they were once again eye to eye.

"Hermione, this is not a rejection. You are correct that I do indeed care for you as well as your daughter," he added with a small smile. The little imp was highly intelligent and definitely knew how to wrap people around her finger. "In many ways, she reminds me greatly of her mother of whom I am most thankful for," Severus said as he brushed a finger over her umber curls before cupping her face. "I want you in my life Hermione, both of you, but this is going to take time. There are a great many things in both our pasts that we need to come to terms with. We also have a business that needs to succeed or I may have no choice but to go back into teaching to provide for us all," he said with a resigned sigh hoping that step backwards would not be so. Minerva had been begging for him to return and if it meant that he could take care of Rose and Hermione as he wished to, he would endure the presence of dunderheaded students on a daily basis.

Hermione covered his hand with her own that was cupping her face. She moved her head to plant a kiss into his palm before speaking.

"It will never come down to that Severus. This business will succeed. We are two of the most intelligent people in the wizarding world. You know it, and I know it. If anyone can succeed, I know it will be us," she said softly as her eyes locked with his own. _Gods, how she loved those dark eyes! _Most people assumed his eyes were black, but in the time she had come to know him, she had seen for herself that they were actually a very dark charcoal grey. One had to get close enough to notice it however, and truth be told, she selfishly never wanted anyone to ever get that close to him.

She now looked into those deep grey eyes and put all the emotion and truth she was feeling behind her words.

"Severus, I am not asking you for declarations of love or to be swept away on a bed of roses and chocolate. In fact, I find that rather nauseating," she said thinking about Ron's false attempts to seduce her in the very beginning of their relationship. She had been very young at the time, and like any girl, those few attempts had indeed pulled at her heartstrings.

_The folly of youth._

"All I am asking is that you don't shut me out or pretend that something is not happening between us. You have no idea how much that hurts," she said remembering the rebuff he had thrown at her a few days ago.

Seeing the pain in her eyes, he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers with a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but the stigma that carried with being associated with him was a very real concern.

"Hermione, I do not desire to push you away, but I am concerned; for us, for you. To be associated with me beyond our business venture will be hard. I am still seen as a murdering Death Eater. They do not see the hero I was lauded as, but a hated piece of filth with delusions of grandeur." He drew in a steadying breath as his thumbs gently stroked her cheeks. "My past... what I was... it is hard for me to ignore the doubt that torments me daily. Add that with being old enough to be your father," but he was cut off mid sentence when his mouth was covered with the sweetness of her soft lips. For a moment he was shocked beyond all comprehension as his brain melted into liquid matter. He could not move or breathe as he lost all train of thought beyond the moist and gentle mouth that was gliding over his own. Finally, when he felt her tongue tentatively flick against his lips, all hesitancy vanished, and he opened to her, burying his hands in her thick mass of umber curls and moaning softly as his tongue met hers to gently stroke it with his own, once, twice, before plunging into her mouth with the unrestrained hunger he had been holding back for so long.

Hermione gasped when she felt Severus return her kiss with the same passion and heat that was boiling in her own blood. She grasped his hair and pulled his body on top of hers wanting to feel the wizard's weight pressed against her, wishing she could draw him deeper. If she could take him into her very soul, she would.

He drove with wild abandon into her mouth tasting and tracing every inch of it, their tongues suckling each other's until the need for breath forced them apart. He buried his face in her neck, panting when a wave of unexpected dizziness hit him. She felt his body go rigid, and immediately, rolled him onto his back, concern flashing through her eyes in the moonlit room.

"Severus, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just wanted to stop your ridiculous ranting. You're still in need of rest and food. Please, let me go get something and bring it up here."

Severus took a deep breath and opened his eyes, the dizziness having passed. Still, he felt the exhaustion creeping back, as well as hunger. His pride however, would not allow him to give in.

He pulled her back against him and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. He gave a tiny smile when he felt her shiver.

"Yes, I do need rest, Hermione. But I could rest later," he said teasingly, as he placed a kiss at the hollow of her throat.

Hermione laughed, but bent down to brush her lips against his eliciting a small sigh from the Potions Master. She knew she needed to let him sleep, as well as check on her daughter. She was praying he would not be stubborn for once and would do as she asked.

Highly unlikely, but at least it was worth a try.

"This conversation is far from over Severus Snape, but as of right now try to get some more sleep. I am going to check on Rose and-"

"How is she? Please tell me she is alright," Severus said before she could finish. He attempted to sit up until another wave of dizziness hit him and forced him back down with a groan.

Hermione sighed. The stubbornness of the man knew no bounds.

"Rose is fine Severus. In fact she is downstairs entertaining Lucius last I heard."

"Lucius? Lucius is here? At Grimmauld Place?" The idea was almost too ludicrous for him to comprehend. He knew how much this place stirred bad memories for his friend. He needed to see him at once.

Frustratingly, the witch, his witch, had other ideas. How the hell did she know him so well?

"Don't even think about it Severus Snape. If I see you leave this room, I'll hex your bits off. You'll have more than enough time to see him later. Now, let me check on Rose, and I'll let you know about Lucius when I bring you up a tray. Sleep," she said, as she placed a chaste kiss on his forehead

"Controlling witch," he muttered but pulled the duvet closer knowing there was no point in arguing, he was too tired at this point.

"You'd better remember it, too," she chuckled as she tucked the older wizard's hair behind his ear and slid off the bed, to slip her shoes back on. She had just reached the door, when she heard his voice through the darkness. It was so quiet she almost didn't hear him, and the vulnerability etched in it was so strong, she almost felt her heart break in two.

"You will... come back?"

His words and the despair laced through them made her want to rip apart all the people who had hurt this man to the point where he had to question every kindness shown to him as if it would be taken away at any moment.

_Lily Evans and Albus Dumbledore were at the top of that list._

Placing as much reassurance as she could into her words, she spoke, knowing he would understand exactly what she meant.

"I shall, Severus. Always."

With a wistful glance at her wizard, unseen in the dimness of the moonlit room, the young witch left the room to seek her daughter, and see how badly Rose had manipulated the older Malfoy. Knowing her daughter, she was more worried about Malfoy than she was about her very clever little girl.

* * *

"Not fair!" cried Rose. "You're cheating!"

Lucius scowled softly, "On the contrary, little Miss Know-it-all, when one's hand is large enough to cover the back of the card so another cannot read its pattern," a single, smooth eyebrow rose to underline his point as he eyed the child with his grey gaze, "_that_ is not cheating. _That _is called an advantage, Miss Granger."

Rose pursed her lips as she looked up at the older wizard. _He thinks he's so smug_, she thought darkly. _I'll show him!_ "I don't cheat, either, Mr. Malfoy. My being able to read the patterns is an _advantage _because I'm more observant than you are!" She tossed her card at the older wizard with a touch of triumph, and clapped her hands as it exploded against his knee.

"Ouch!" cried Lucius indignantly. He rubbed his knee and then _Evanescoed_the remains of soot away. He grimaced at the little girl who still smiled smugly. "Do that... again, and it will be you over this knee, Miss Granger," he growled tautly.

"And I'll let him, Rosie," chided Hermione from the arched doorway. "How many times have I told you not to throw those cards at people?"

"But, Mummy, he cheats!" she pouted, pointing at Lucius.

"And you don't?" Hermione walked into the living room, and Summoned all the Exploding Snap cards. "I'm very familiar with that little trick of yours of reading the patterns on the back of the cards. Now, apologise to Mr. Malfoy."

Rose stuck out her lower lip, crossed her arms over her thin chest, and then sighed melodramatically. She then apologised. "I'm sorry for throwing the card at you, Mr. Malfoy. I won't ever do _that _again." Lucius gave her an accepting nod. Rose pushed herself off the sofa, and trotted towards her mother. "I'm going to go play with Remmy and Sevvy," she declared and thundered up the stairs.

"Sevvy?" asked Lucius with the trace of a smirk.

"She doesn't mean our Severus, Mr. Malfoy. Sevvy… er… Severus Lysander is Remus' twin. And, I am inclined to suppose that he isn't going to like Rosie's nickname." Hermione seated herself on the sofa and placed the deck of Exploding Snap cards on the table between them. "I hope she wasn't a terrible bother to you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Except for that last touch of viciousness, your daughter is quite the charmer… Miss Granger. And, please, call me Lucius. How is our friend doing?" He asked smoothly as his gaze glanced up the staircase through the arched thruway.

Hermione settled on the sofa. "Tired. He is asleep, again. I have never seen someone that was exhausted by the overuse of their magic. What did he do?"

Lucius shook his head. It still bothered him how far Severus had dropped into his own darkness. He remembered many times when The Dark Lord had made Severus use the Legilimens technique to force undesirables into madness. He knew his friend still suffered brutal nightmares from these incidents. "Legilimens," stated the older wizard. "A brutal forcing of one's worst memories relived."

Hermione sat up straight, in horror. She was familiar with Legilimens because she had made it her place to learn more about the discipline since Harry was supposed to be learning Occlumency from then Professor Snape. She recalled with clarity some of the horror stories she had read of madness forced by a Legilimens on their victims. Yet, there was one aspect of Legilimency that the book had not mentioned. "Severus lived those memories, too, didn't he?"

Hermione remembered the tortured nightmare Severus had, and her hands clenched into fists of rage as she thought of her ex-husband.

Lucius just nodded. "I have no doubt Severus will recover from the exhaustion, but to have experienced what Bilius did to you as if he were the villain… will he endure, or fall, Miss Granger?"

"Neither of you need fear that I shall fall… anywhere." Severus Snape's silken voice was roughened by the remains of exhaustion in his system. He was leaning against the arched door jamb, watching her intensely. To Hermione, he looked ready to collapse on his feet.

Hermione jumped up from the sofa, and without any help from the tall wizard, she insinuated herself against his side to support him protectively in a way that made Lucius arch an eyebrow in surprise. "You should be in bed, Severus," she admonished the older wizard with a frown.

_Why was he so damn stubborn?_

"I was hungry…" he hesitated. Perhaps, Hermione thought, but he was still very tired. Then he completed his sentence and her heart skipped a beat, "and I missed your presence," he said softly so Lucius couldn't hear.

As she used her weight to steady him physically, Hermione felt a deeper connection to the Potions Master that warmed her heart in a way nothing had ever done before. "Come to the kitchen, Severus. I'm sure Luna left something for you to eat."

Severus gave Lucius a small nod. Reassuring himself that his friend was in fact fine, he allowed Hermione to lead him to away to find adequate sustenance.

Lucius watched as his friend hobbled to the kitchen with Hermione's support. He knew it was late and he ought to go home, but he was reluctant to do so. However, he had not been invited…

"I have a comfortable room made up for you on the second floor, Mr. Malfoy, if you feel it is too late to travel home." Lucius turned sharply to see Mrs. Potter near the Floo. There was no door behind her and he certainly had not come through the arched thruway. He wondered if the Potters could Apparate within their home. As if able to hear his thoughts spoken aloud, Luna smiled ethereally, and explained, "Secret passages. Grimmauld Place is riddled with them." She beckoned to the wizard with a come hither motion with her hand. Lucius stood and followed the remarkable witch.

Luna spoke blithely as they ascended the stairs, "When Severus was five years old he explored every crook and nanny of Grimmauld Place. He discovered a hidden panel by the toy shelf in the nursery and Harry and I lost him for nearly an entire day. It took myself, Harry, Remus, and their godfather Severus, to finally find him."

Luna pushed open a door at the end of the hallway on the second floor to reveal a cozy room with a canopied bed. The décor was all of blues and silvers, and the room had been warmed by a fire with scented pine logs giving fragrance to the air. Lucius knew without a doubt he would sleep peacefully this night.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Potter." Lucius gave the fae witch a gentle nod, and then retired to the bedroom.

* * *

In the kitchen Hermione found that Luna had set aside some chicken broth and cream crackers that were under a Stasis and Warming Charm. Removing them both, Hermione set the meal in front of Severus and then helped herself to a serving of beef stew that Luna had also put aside. With the stew was a store bought French style bread. Sitting across from the rather stupefied looking wizard, Hermione broke the stiff bread, and dipped it into the stew. She was amused that the Potions Master's eyes were following her movements.

"Please have some of the broth first, Severus," encouraged Hermione. She hated seeing him so weak and despondent.

"I have homemade bread at home," he sniffed weakly as he picked up his spoon and dipped it into the broth. He grimaced at the thin taste but had several more bites before attempting to swallow some of the crackers.

Since Hermione noted that the grimace remained, she figured the cream crackers were just as tasteless as the soup. Several more half-hearted sips of the weak broth and Severus dropped his spoon to the table. For a long moment he glared morosely at the remains of his soup while eyeing Hermione's bowl of stew with a soft scowl.

_What was it with men when they were sick? _She had heard enough stories about Harry from Luna, early on in their relationship, to know that even the most powerful of wizards could be reduced to the likes of pouting children when they were feeling out of sorts.

Hermione sighed quietly before Levitating the bland soup away from the older wizard, and soon had it replaced with a small bowl of the steaming beef stew.

"Do I need to caution you to eat slowly, Severus?" she asked purposely putting on a mothering tone to lightly tease him.

She had to admit she found him adorable when he was sick and scowling in a way that reminded her of Rose when she was under the weather, though she knew she would be hexed into oblivion if she ever associated the word _'__adorable'_with Severus Snape out loud.

Severus narrowed his slate grey eyes at her, smirked, but said nothing as he attacked the more substantial stew with an unhurried hunger. Although it would have been tempting to brush her thoughts, to do so after he had stressed his body so much while Legilimensing Bilius, would be unwise. In retaliation for what he thought she might be thinking, he stole the rest of her so called _stale bread_.

"Mine is still better," he asserted. "Remind me to send the Potter's some of my sourdough French so they will have a clear understanding of what the robust taste and delicate consistency of real bread is supposed to be in accordance of," he said with an irritated air, although Hermione bit her cheek to keep from chuckling when she noted that Severus was using a hunk of the stale French bread to mop up the last of his stew. Noticing the mirth in her hazel eyes, Severus pushed his empty bowl aside, and crossed his arms, a deep frown etched on his tired face. Hermione shook her head and Levitated all their dishes to the sink before standing up and moving herself directly beside the scowling Potions Master. She allowed him to pull her onto his lap. Tentatively, they kissed, and then she slipped her arms around his neck, rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

She would never get tired of this.

"What am I going to do with you Severus? I tell you to stay in bed and you come downstairs anyway. I try to give you something weak that won't harm your stomach and you insist on rich food. Will you ever listen to anything for your own good?"

Severus sniffed indignantly at the young witch upon his lap. "I suppose you could trade me in for a younger, more improved model," he said with a low sneer.

Hermione lifted her head and captured his gaze with her own. She did not think he was joking. Placing a hand firmly on his cheek and caressing the frown of his brow with her other hand she touched her nose to his.

"Never. I like the version I have very much, even if he can be a stubborn prat at times."

Severus snorted dryly, but folded her into his arms, tucking her under his chin and resting his head atop her sable curls.

Relishing the new found freedom of being able to be near him like this, she held him close, and pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his scent of clean linen, cut grass and vetiver. The dressing gown he had changed into before coming downstairs felt like soft, crushed velvet beneath her cheek, and she found herself snuggling against it.

They stayed that way for a long time, two figures wrapped around each other as the large crackling fire of the kitchen warmed their bodies and their spirits. Such act of closeness was a balm for both their souls after years of loneliness and despair had clawed and ripped at their individual lives.

As the fire started to die down, and the soft glow of the kitchen started to dim, Hermione felt Severus begin to sag against her. She looked up and was startled to see how tired and haggard his face was, now that he was relaxed and had his guard down. Hermione knew she needed to get him back to bed immediately before he collapsed.

Without a word, she stood up, pulling him with her, and thankfully he came without protest. Together, with the tall Potions Master leaning heavily upon her smaller frame, the odd couple stumbled up the stairs and back to Severus' room. Hermione tenderly tucked the older wizard back into his bed, but when she looked up she realised she had not taken the dressing gown off. It was too late now; he lay sprawled under the covers, breathing heavily. Hermione started to leave but a hand wrapped around her wrist and gently pulled her backwards to the bed where she sat by his curled form.

"Stay?"

It was not a demand or even a question, more like a hopeful request that she was almost certain he thought she would reject. Again, it unnerved Hermione how such simple acts of kindness were so foreign to Severus, that asking for anything was like a personal risk to him.

She ran her fingers over the silken strands of his ebony hair noticing how deep the blackness was. Silver would not touch his hair for at least another decade. In the moonlight that was spilling over the open window by the bed a portion of the black gleamed a dark, electric blue. She tucked a few loose strands behind his ear (a routine that was becoming habit) before leaning over to capture his lips in a soft and gentle kiss.

"I need to check on Rosie, and also let Harry know about your progress," she said quietly as she continued to thread her fingers through his hair, her fallow eyes focusing on the man in front of her. "You know, you were asleep earlier when I told you this, but now that you're awake, it is important that you hear it from me. Severus what you did for Rosie and Me, I-I, well nobody has-e-ever done anything l-like that for us, and I wanted to…"

Severus slowly sat up, ignoring the ache in his body, and reached up to cup her face. His thumbs brushed against the warm tears that were now sliding down her cheeks. He made sure his deep grey eyes captured her own hazel before he spoke.

"Hermione, there is no need for thanks. The very fact that you and Rose are alive and well is all the gratitude I need. I made a promise to you that I would keep both of you safe, and a wizard of any worth never breaks his word. Besides, tell me what kind of man would not protect his family?" The last part slipped from his lips without even a second thought.

Hermione stared at the dark wizard as his words penetrated her heart and mind. She did not speak for so long that Severus started to grow uncomfortable, and was about to pull away when she crushed his already aching body with a gripping embrace, making him wince.

"I am so glad I-we.., Rose and I," she stumbled, trying to bring sense to her chaotic thoughts. "-have you in our lives Severus. The best thing I ever did was start writing you almost a year and a half ago. Who would have thought such a simple letter would have brought us to where we are now," she said softly as she clutched him, the many events from the past year playing out in front of her eyes. She knew he had been deadly serious when he had tried to warn her earlier of the repercussions that came with being associated with him, but she did not care. She had never given in to what society expected from her, and had survived the many scandals that were thrown in her face by _The Prophet_over the years. She could handle this. There were many things they would have to face; founding a fledgling business, prosecuting her ex-husband, facing friends and family and especially helping Rose hopefully accept the older wizard into her life. Although, as she recalled her daughter telling Severus she wished he were her father, she doubted that such an acceptance would be all that difficult.

_Family, isn't that what he had called them?_

Feeling her wizard wince in her arms brought her back to reality. She mentally slapped herself for slipping into daydreams when the man she supposedly cared about was exhausted and in obvious pain.

Easing him back down, she brushed her hand over his hair, before leaning down to plant a light kiss on his lips. She knew he would never allow such displays of affection in front of anyone, so she was definitely going to take advantage of the situation while she could.

_Perhaps there was some Slytherin in her after all._

"I am going to check on Rosie and Floo call Harry if he isn't already here, then I will be back, so make room for me, Professor," she said tapping his hooked nose lightly with her finger. He playfully slapped her hand away before pulling the warm covers up to his chest.

"Do not be too long. Tell Harry I will need to speak with him privately before we return to Spinner's End tomorrow, and make sure to tell the little imp I intend to seek her help in making up for the disastrous bread we had to consume here," he said waving her off, before quietly adding, "You may also give her a hug for me."

Hermione's heart warmed. He would never be a demonstrative or even nice man, but he was trying, and that was all that mattered to her.

"I'll be back shortly," she called softly and left the bedroom where she literally ran into Luna coming out of another guest bedroom. "Luna! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching… where is Rosie?"

Luna pointed to a nearby bedroom door. "How is our dear Potions Master?" she asked.

"In pain, though the stubborn man will never admit to it, and attempting to sleep. He had some broth, and some stew, though. I did, too. Thanks." Hermione pushed through the bedroom door but stopped, and looked over her shoulder at the still smiling and complacent witch. "I'm sorry for being abrupt, Luna. I have a lot on my mind. Really, thank you for everything you've done today, and for taking care of Rose.

Luna gently patted Hermione's cheek. "Rose was a dream, Hermione. The twins have fallen in love with her, but don't worry!" She spun in place slowly until she was facing the bemused witch again. "No dating until Rose is 16. That seems right to me." She sashayed down the hall. "Boo will be home in a few minutes. He will probably want to talk to you. I think you should get some sleep instead, Hermione. Goodnight."

Hermione chuckled softly. Luna had changed, matured, but she was still the same, perhaps even more than what she once was. She was peace and confidence in the form of a witch who appeared to be of Fae birth.

Turning away from the hallway, Hermione moved towards her daughter's room. Vaguely she recognised the whimsically decorated room - satyrs danced in a mural across one wall and one shelf was loaded with games and books and plush animals. It was the room she and Ginevra Weasley had shared when they had been in the midst of a war, and part of the Order of the Phoenix.

Rose was asleep. Clutched to her chest were Babbity and the Velveteen rabbit. Hermione could not remember what the new rabbit's name was. She did wonder who had brought the two beloved plushies from Spinner's End. She touched her daughter's face and placed a warm kiss on her forehead. She thought of Severus and smiled. If he allowed himself, his presence in her life would be a healing factor and not one of detriment.

Running her fingers through the girl's strawberry curls, she gave her one last kiss, and content that her daughter was safe, she left the room. Hermione then made her way downstairs to face the friend she had not seen in years.

* * *

"Severus will be all right," Hermione began. "He's just very tired. Oh, and he did say that he wants to see you before he goes back to Spinner's End in the morning."

"Good," he sighed. "Thanks for taking care of him." Harry eyed his once best friend from the other side of the tea Hermione had just poured and handed him. He blinked and could still feel the bruise on his cheek from where she had slapped him when he had greeted her in his sitting room.

"I'm sorry for slapping…"

Harry held up his hand, and shook his head. "Don't apologise, Hermione. I deserved it. I never should have dropped out of your life the way I did."

Hermione sighed. "I don't blame you, Harry. Ron was your best friend, your first friend. You didn't want to lose that, or him."

Harry solemnly shook his head. "Yeah, when he told me to leave you two alone, I…" He put the teacup down on the short table separating them in the sitting room.

Hermione watched her once best friend and thought back to their last few times together. Harry and Luna's wedding. That had been a few years before her and Ron's own wedding. Even though Harry was not marrying a Weasley, he was still considered family and the entire brood, and grandchildren, were there to wish them well. When the twins had been born nearly a year and a half later she had gone to their Naming Ceremony. Ron had been picked up by some professional Quidditch team, and would not come. She did not know that there had been a severe argument between Harry and Ron regarding the naming of his sons, and who would be standing attendant as godfather during the ceremony. Hermione clearly recalled that it was that night he had gotten drunk, had come home to her, and had shouted to her that Harry should have named his son after him, and not some _damned, Death Eater, murdering _**_git_**!

Getting into bed to calm Ron down had been a very poor idea on her part. She had cradled and consoled him… and learned a few weeks later that she was pregnant. In the whirlwind of a night and day she and Ron were married by a clerk at the Ministry. No friends to bless them; Hermione mused that their wedding had been only as long as Rose's conception had been.

The last she had heard from either Harry or Luna was a perfunctory, yet kind card of congratulations on their marriage.

Harry shook his head. "After the… after we named Severus godfather to Severus and Remus, Ron was certain I was trying to take you away from him." Hermione gave him a puzzled look. She never recalled Ron accusing her of wanting Harry! Harry let out a sigh and continued, "He kept bringing up the Forest of Dean to me and when he left. The horcrux… did he ever tell you what it showed him?"

Hermione shook her head. "He never said anything about the locket. I just assumed it fought like the others did."

Harry chuckled darkly. "Yeah, it did fight. Ron had the Sword of Gryffindor and was going to smash the locket with it when this mist came swirling up from it. In the mist was…" the young wizard's cheeks blazed with embarrassment, but he swallowed and blurted, "we were kissing and we were… well… naked…" Hermione's eyes widened with surprise. She could understand why neither boy had said anything to her. Quickly Harry finished the short tale, "It was lying to him, trying to get him to strike me down with the sword. He didn't, though." Harry sighed sadly and picked up his cold tea, sipping it as though it were a lifeline. "I don't think he ever forgave us."

"Yet we forgave him for leaving us to hunt the Horcruxes," Hermione's voice echoed dully. "We were always making excuses for Ron, Harry."

Harry nodded, and put aside his tea. It was like ice anyway, and he had not thought to use a simple Warming Charm to re-heat it. After a long awkward moment of silence, Harry asked, "How did you and Severus meet again?"

At this question a bloom came to Hermione's cheeks and she smiled; a woman content. It cheered Harry because he remembered what Severus had told him so carefully when the older wizard had come to him for help with Ron. Severus loved Hermione. He wanted to know if she felt the same and at the sight of her blush he had a feeling that she probably did.

"I was working in the Auror Department at the time," she sighed, and her head dropped in embarassment. "I get shifted around so much, Harry. Anyway, I was there to help handle extra paperwork." She grinned wryly. "You Aurors aren't ones for completing reports and filing, are you?"

Harry chuckled. "Never have been, 'Mione. So, what were you doing that put you in Severus' way?"

"Nothing fancy," she replied. "There was to be a demolition of some old shop in Glasgow and a cache of potions was found. They were able to identify most, except for one, and I was called on to find a Potions Master who could identify the potion."

Harry nodded encouragingly. He recalled the simple assignment. Other Aurors had been assigned, but not him since he had just become Head of the Auror Department. He had no idea Hermione had been working near the very same office of his since he'd had his own pile of paperwork to tackle with his new position.

He had heard of Hugo's death and only knew of it because Luna had showed him the small obituary that simply said the child had expired due to Dragon Pox.

Harry felt ashamed that he had used the excuse of new demands to his new job to prevent him from visiting Hermione and to see if she was all right after her son's death. Luna had told him of Hermione's impending divorce and the quitting of her clerks job, and this time he was just too reluctant to visit Hermione. He had, then, a sickish sense that maybe she would not have wanted to see him anyway.

"…we continued to write after he discovered what was needed by the Auror Department about the potion." Hermione sighed, unaware that Harry's smile of contentment had become a shaded grimace. "Tea. Then, we had tea. Once a week a few hours of fragrant tea, and simple cakes was a gentle light upon all the shadows I met with every week. Only Rose was brighter." Coming out of her reminiscence, Hermione studied her friend's face. "Harry? What's wrong?"

"What I did to you, 'Mione," he said softly slipping towards her old nickname that she had never objected to. "it was wrong of me. I don't know what I was thinking listening to Ron that I was "interfering in his marriage". I wasn't a threat!" He wrung his hands together. "Luna knew better than I did, 'Mione. She told me not to let you go and I can't believe I didn't listen to my own wife!"

"Oh stop it, Harry!" Hermione chided gently. "We could spend days and nights moaning over the things we '_should have done_' or '_how stupid we were_', and so on. What happened happened, for good or bad. Could we more forward now?"

Harry exhaled a sigh of relief. He grinned at Hermione, reminding her of the boy he had been; not the hero, or vanquisher of Voldemort, but a little boy with an engaging grin and as new to the wizarding world as she had been. The common thread they both had.

"So," he smirked teasingly, "You and Severus?" Hermione nodded, somewhat guarded, wondering what Harry was going to ask her next. "Do you love him?"

"I…" Hermione hesitated.

Harry piped up. "Severus is important to me… and to my family, 'Mione. He's the godfather to my children and Luna sees him as a close uncle. I know a little of what you went through with Ron and know it's been hard for Severus. He's a reluctant hero…" his voice faded. "The wizarding world doesn't see him as my family and I do. I just want to know that you're both happy."

It was Hermione's turn to exhale for relief. "He's my friend, Harry. And, he makes me feel safe. Everything he's done for me, for Rose…" she looked up and smiled shyly at Harry. "I-I want to, Harry. I know I'm falling in love, but I'm afraid." She began to stumble over her words, "I know Severus isn't Ron! God! He'd never be like Ron! I know that, but… I…"

"You're afraid, 'Mione. I understand," Harry finished. He leaned forward and caught Hermione's fluttering hands. "Just, I want you both to be careful. I think you'd both be good for each other, but don't hurt each other getting there. Okay?"

Hermione nodded firmly. "Oh Harry! I've missed you!" They both met each other and embraced, hugging the other tightly to make up for all the hugs they had missed over the years.

"I missed you, too, 'Mione," Harry sighed into his friend's curly hair. His friend. His best friend!

* * *

An hour had passed and Hermione expected Severus to be asleep. As she looked down upon him in the sliver of moonlight that shone through the heavy curtains she noticed that the dressing gown had been removed and dropped upon the floor at the side of the bed. The covers were twisted and the wizard had a pillow crushed to his chest. For a moment she debated removing her only blouse and skirt, but then did so. She was a grown and practical woman and her clothes were honestly not smelling so fresh. Shivering slightly from the loss of cloth she quickly climbed into the bed and eased herself next to Severus. In that moment he released the pillow he had been holding and turned to draw her into his arms. He kissed her forehead, and then chastely kissed her mouth before slipping easily into sleep. Hermione soon followed.

_**Authors: Master Severus Snape & etherian. Recent changes made 11-14-12 to better fit the story on ff dot net.**_


	28. Chapter 28 I Love You

_Dreaming, he was dreaming._

All around him was a warmth and comfort that permeated to his very core. He would do anything to maintain this foreign cocoon of safety and love that surrounded him. Snuggling closer to the source of the warmth, he wrapped his lean body around the softness of the woman in his arms. She snuggled closer into his embrace, and he buried his face in her tangle of wild curls, delighting in her spicy scent.

Then it hit him full force.

_This was not a dream._

He slowly opened his sleep filled eyes and looked down at the woman whose body was completely tangled with his own, the pale blue cotton sheets of Grimmauld Place' guest bedroom, twisted between them. Severus Snape's mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to recall everything that happened the night before.

Seeking revenge on Bilius, using Legilimency, Lucius taking his wand, being taken to Grimmauld Place (though how, he had no recollection), the nightmares, Luna's healing, Hermione's concern.…._Hermione_.

_Hermione._

His eyes widened as he stared down at the woman contentedly sleeping in his arms. Her features were relaxed and exquisite in the soft glow of predawn light that was spilling through the open window by the bed.

His breathing hitched as everything started to come back to him. What he had done to Bilius, their conversations, how she had comforted him, how he had begged her to stay with him, and their kisses….

_They had kissed…_

Sub-consciously, he could already feel himself growing hard just remembering what had happened between them. It was then he realised he was practically naked save for a pair of thin silk pyjama bottoms, and to make matters worse, the witch curled around him was in nothing more than a cotton bra and knickers. He groaned under his breath, as heat crept up his neck and filled his sallow cheeks. How would Hermione ever look at him again, let alone speak to him? Perhaps if he could slip away before she awoke, he could explain that he had been extremely ill and had not been cognoscente of anything that had occurred.

Mentally pleading for his erection to deflate at least until he could take care of it in a more appropriate place, he managed to slip the younger witch's arms from around his waist and onto a nearby pillow. He had just untangled his hand from her mass of wild curls and was about to slide from the bed when he saw the same pillow he had just manoeuvred in his stead, fly across the room and hit the door. Just as quickly, two arms (_when had the witch become that strong?_) pulled him from behind and shoved him back down onto the bed, before sitting on his hips to straddle him in place.

"Hermione, what in Merlin's name are you," Severus snarled, but was immediately cut off by the woman pinning him to the bed.

"Don't even try that Severus Snape. I had a distinct feeling this would be happening once you woke. Do not even _attempt _to tell me you don't recall anything that happened last night!" Hermione said narrowing her hazel eyes as if to daring him to say otherwise.

Severus swallowed hard while trying to ignore the intense feeling of arousal the witch was causing him by sitting on his hips, especially wearing only her intimates.

"There were many things that were said last night, Hermione, especially in the aftermath of what occurred," he said trying to sound stern and failing miserably.

"Are you saying you didn't mean anything you said, especially about us?" Hurt flashed like lightning through her wide eyes, as if she expected what was coming. Severus caught it, and his insides cringed with fear and shame.

"Hermione, that is not what I meant," he said in frustration, while his dark grey eyes pleaded with her to understand. "This is all new to me…I….I do not want to ruin what we have by starting something that could potentially hurt us both." He lowered his eyes, unable to meet her own. He was so far out of his depth, he had no clue where to even begin. Why would she even want to stay with someone as mentally scarred as he was?

Finally understanding, Hermione slowly moved to the side and drew the older wizard into her arms. He laid his head gently on her chest, and wrapped his arms tentatively around her waist. She combed her fingers through his long black locks, and sighed as she felt him begin to relax.

If they were going to have any chance, one of them would have to take the first few steps, and after everything he had done for her and Rose, she knew she owed this to him, _to them_ to be the one to do so.

As she continued to gently stroke his hair, the morning light began to paint the room with an ethereal luminescence that almost made the situation surreal. Looking down at the wizard in her arms, she saw for the first time the multitude of scars across his back that had been invisible in the shadows of night. She had heard stories about those scars, but had never imagined there would be so many, and yet, instead of feeling repulsed or piteous, she felt a sudden surge of pride at the wizard's strength. He had endured all this for the people that were important to him.

_For what was right._

Hermione gently kissed his brow. She felt a swelling of emotion in her heart. Had he withstood such pain, such degradation, nearly dying, simply because it was right to do so? A duty? A penance? And, what of love? Harry had told her that once Severus had loved his mother, Lily, but it had all gone so very wrong. She married another and turned her back upon her childhood friend... Hermione drew in a tight breath... Lily had done nothing to stop Severus from walking into Darkness.

Love. Severus had not turned from the Dark Lord because it was right, but because he had loved.

And, he was afraid that Hermione might not love him. She did, though... well, perhaps it was too soon for love? No. She wanted this. To kiss him, to wake beside him, to... love him.

As her fingers tenderly traced over the raised lines of the scars that mapped the landscape of his back, she felt him stiffen beneath her, but she didn't stop her ministrations, using her words instead, to sooth his broken soul.

"You are beautiful Severus Snape, so beautiful, and every scar you have on your body only makes you more precious to me, for it proves what you will endure to protect and save the people that matters most to you, the people you love."

Raising his head to meet her own, she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close and once again entwining their bodies beneath the cotton sheets.

They were so close; she could feel both their pounding hearts beating against the other. She knew she needed to get the words out before she lost her nerve.

"Severus, since you accepted my first letter a year and a half ago, we have become friends. More, I think. After all that you've done for me and Rose but is friendship all there is between us?" Hermione licked her dry lips in nervousness, but did not back down from the dark grey eyes that were now boring into her own. She slowly lowered her hand and traced his thin lips, parting them as she spoke. "It's not enough anymore Severus."

As she paused, he murmured, "Any port in a storm..."

"No! Severus...! Please." Lightly, nervously, and slightly afraid she might say the wrong thing, she took a deep breath. "I have always been drawn to you, even in school, though not like I am now, I assure you," she said almost with a nervous giggle before continuing. "Yet, something has always been there flickering in the back of my mind. In some ways, perhaps I have unfairly compared others to you, even Ron. Maybe that was another reason he hated you more than he should have. Perhaps he knew. I….I don't know," she said with a sigh, pulling herself even closer to the Potions Master. He tightened his grip around her waist, but still remained silent, intent on watching her. She stroked his cheek, and her voice dropped as if in realisation. "It was probably why I choose to keep seeking you out and continuing our correspondence no matter how many times you tried to push me away. The only happiness and light in my days other than being with my children, was being able to see you." Suddenly, tears she had been holding back fell unbidden from her eyes as the words she had been holding in finally found release. Severus pulled her tightly against him, spooning her so her head was tucked under his chin, and his body was coiled protectively around her own. He stroked and kissed her mass of umber curls knowing full well that upon leaving this bed, nothing would ever be the same for either of them again.

_The question was, was he ready for this?_

He looked at Hermione bathed in the morning light. Deep circles due to the events of the last few days were etched around her beautiful hazel grey eyes. He wanted nothing more than to erase them permanently, and fill them instead, with the happiness they had both rarely experienced in their lives.

Yes, they both had a long road ahead of them. No relationship was easy, especially for two people as damaged as they were, but Hermione had the courage to express her feelings to him, and he owed her the same. He knew he did not want to live with this facade anymore, and if he could admit it to Harry, than he could do so for the woman who had become his world.

He saw Hermione about to speak again, but as she parted her lips to talk, he leaned down and covered them with his own, his warm tongue tangling with hers and drawing her deep into his mouth. She groaned in surprise, and drew both her hands up to coil into his mess of sleep mussed hair, pulling him deeper. She felt his erection press into her stomach beneath the thin silk of his pyjama bottoms, and she rocked herself against him in ecstasy as heat bloomed like a slow fire becoming a liquid desire. It had been so long since anyone had made her feel this way; she never thought the feeling would ever come again, especially after Ron use to humiliate her in bed, calling her as _dry as a bone._

His hand that had been wrapped around her waist moved up and gently unhooked her soft cotton bra, slipping it off her shoulders, and dropping it to the floor.

Hermione shivered under his dark gaze as he took in the exquisite beauty of the witch in front of him. Her body was soft and round from bearing two children. These were the curves of hidden secrets that haunted his better dreams at night.

_He had never seen anything more beautiful._

He lowered his head to gently suckle at her breast, his dark hair spilling against her pale skin like ink stains on parchment. Hermione closed her eyes and moaned softly while his slender fingers massaged her rounded swells as his tongue nipped at the bud of each nipple, grazing it with his teeth until it hardened into a peak at which he sucked greedily, lavishing his tongue in circles from one breast to the other.

Hermione gasped at the sensations that were sweeping over her body, almost unable to breathe. Threading her fingers through his black strands, she arched her back in pleasure encouraging him further.

He lost himself in the delicious moans and enticing swells of this beautiful witch,_his witch_, before making his way back up her body, and mapping each dip and curve of her creamy skin with his tongue, before hungrily claiming her lips with his own.

Their kisses were slow and languid, their tongues taking the time to savour and taste what they had long denied themselves. Drunk with a hunger that refused to be sated, Severus finally pulled away knowing if they continued at this pace, it would lead them to a place he knew they were not quite ready to go just yet. Besides, he did not want to make love to Hermione for the first time anywhere else but _their _home, not Grimmauld Place. Still, he knew there was something that needed to be said. Flushed and panting, he pulled Hermione against him, and making sure her hazel eyes met his deepest grey, he brushed her swollen lips with his own and whispered throatily, "I love you Hermione."

Hermione's eyes went wide, and tears she had not even realised were there, slid quietly down her face. Aside from her daughter, she could not even recall the last time she had heard those words spoken to her directly.

Severus held her against his chest, his face buried in her hair, as she quietly cried. He knew she would not be able to answer him back, at least not yet. It did not take a genius to know how frightened she was, but at least one of them had been able to take the first few steps that were needed, in fact they had _both_ taken first steps this morning, and it was a start.

They held each other in the safety of their embrace, neither speaking, until the full morning sun washed over them, and the smell of breakfast wafted through the door.

Severus reluctantly pulled away from the warmth of Hermione's arms and gave his witch a rare smile.

"You should go have yourself a hot bath. I need to speak with Harry alone anyway. I am sure he has many questions for me, the dunderhead," he said rolling his eyes.

Hermione laughed out loud before hitting her wizard with a pillow.

"Dunderhead? I thought you two were friends for Merlin's sake. Severus!"

Severus gave a snort. "I pretend to get along for the boys. How he managed to create two intelligent children with Lovegood is beyond me."

Hermione shook her head and sighed. She knew better than to believe Severus. After hearing the way Harry spoke about him last night, she knew Severus was closer to Harry than he dared to admit, he was his children's godfather after all.

Leaning over, she gave the older wizard one last peck on the cheek, but squealed with delight when he grabbed her around the waist and drew her onto his lap kissing her possessively and fiercely. She moaned loudly as she buried her hands in his hair and kissed him back with equal fervour, sucking his tongue into her mouth and nibbling on it hard enough to make the strong wizard shudder and groan as he pulled her against his hardness, to suckle at the hollow of her throat.

"Severus," she gasped pushing herself away before they both lost control.

"Sorry," he said huskily even though his near black eyes said otherwise. "I cannot help it when I have such a desirable witch in my presence."

Hermione blushed and joy blazed in her heart. Ron had never said anything like that, nor even looked at her in the way Severus did. She felt as if a part of her soul was finally waking up and realising what it had been searching for her whole life.

Grabbing his dressing robe, she wrapped herself in it, enjoying his scent, before giving him a gentle brush of her lips to his cheek and making her way to the loo to start her bath.

"I'll see you at breakfast, and make sure Rose does not eat too much bread. I mean it Severus. You spoil her too much," the witch admonished the Potions Master before closing the door.

"I do not spoil her," he huffed as he started to get dressed. Besides, it was not as if they had any good bread here to begin with.

Hearing Hermione humming in the bath, he gave a small smile that quickly turned into a scowl as he left the sanctity of the bedroom to make his way down to the kitchen where he could hear the voices of Lucius Malfoy and Harry Potter already deep in conversation.

Opening the door with a frown, he prepared himself for the onslaught of questions.

_**Author: Master Severus Snape, some editing by etherian**_


	29. Chapter 29 Before Breakfast at Grimmauld

Luna Potter had put Rose to bed in a pretty little nursery that was awaiting the arrival of a little girl. In the daylight that spilled in from a window where a rocker with cushions sat, Hermione could now see that the mural of satyrs was more child-like than she had at first seen the artwork. Joining the dancing creatures was a Heffalump, Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet, Bagheera and Baloo. Even more whimsy had been added as strange, lanky creatures, more human-like, pounded out a rhythm on drums. Each of these odd creatures, partially hidden by lush growth, had upon their foreheads, a crumpled horn.

"So that's a Crumple Horned Snorkack!" Hermione snorted softly.

"G'morning, mummy," came a sweet yawn from the bed.

"Good morning, Sunshine Rose." Hermione sat down on the edge of the bed and was surprised when Rose crawled into her lap like she had done as a toddler. Hermione hugged her child close to her body. "Sweetheart? Did you sleep all right?" She could feel Rose shaking her head. She kissed the girl's sleep tousled curls. "Nightmares? Were they about da… Ron?" Hermione grimaced. That fool severed all rights to this beautiful little girl. She would not, even for Rose's sake, refer to Bilius ever again as a father.

Rose pulled away and looked up suddenly into her mother's face. "I don't want my daddy no more, mummy! Am I bad for saying that?"

Hermione let out a sigh and drew Rose back to her bosom. "No, Sweetheart, no you aren't bad at all. Ohhh, my little warrior. My Rosie Athene." For a long moment Hermione's heart beat nervously in her chest. She had to tell the truth to her daughter and she worried if it would hurt Rose, or her more.

Rose, though, showed that she was more perceptive than adults ever expected. She reached up and touched her mother's cheek. "Mummy? What's wrong?"

"I have some difficult things to tell you, Rosie, to explain." She kissed her daughter's forehead. "Before I say anything, you do know that no matter what you'll always have me, don't you."

Rose smiled, as though she were indulging a half-wit. "Yes, mummy, I do know that. You're my mum!"

Hermione chuckled and tweaked Rose's cheek. "Clever, little cheeky mouse!" She then patted the area of the bed beside her. Rose clambered off her mother's lap and sat so close to the older witch that she was leaning against her. Turning up her Cherubic face, she waited patiently for her mother to begin. She could tell that it was hard because Hermione wrung her hands and sighed heavily a couple of times.

"Rose, you remember when I spoke to you about Ron and our divorce?" Rose just nodded. "What did I tell you, sweetheart?"

"That you and daddy didn't love each other anymore and that it wasn't my fault even though I know he never liked me because I din't have no magic an' I'ma stupid Squib!" the last few words were harshly and quickly blurted.

Hermione caught her daughter's chin and nudged her chin to tip up. Rose's eyes were shut tight, a sign she was trying very hard not to cry. "Rosie, look at mummy, please, sweetheart." Rose let out a trembling huff of breath but then she bravely opened her blue eyes wide. "You are _NOT_ a stupid Squib. There is nothing wrong with not being born with magic. Your father was not able to accept that you were never going to have magic. It is his loss, _forever_, that he doesn't have a desire to know what a wonderful, talented, and intelligent girl you are."

Rose sniffed and then pushed her face into her mother's side. Here her body began to shake as she cried. Hermione patted and rubbed soothing circles over her daughter's back. In her mind she shouted at Ron every single curse word and insulting phrase she could think of. Severus had better be certain she would never see that pitiful excuse for a man again because she would rip him to shreds then hide the body where no one could ever find it.

Hermione was startled from her vicious fantasy by Rose suddenly grabbing her arm so tightly she gave out a small, involuntary yelp. "I don't want to be a Weasley anymore, mummy! I want Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur and… and I want Professor Snape! He cooks really yummy bread, and he talks to me and he liked my drawing and wanted me to paint him a picture and he likes me, Mummy! I don't want nobody that don't like me!" By this time Rose was shouting and flailing her arms wildly about.

Hermione caught her daughter's arms. "Shh! Sweetheart, you'll wake everyone up," Hermione chided gently. She drew Rose back to her side and draped her arm over her daughter. "You know, I'm rather glad you like Severus…"

Rose, her heart still beating quickly with the adrenaline of her emotions interrupted, "I do, Mummy. Professor Snape is a lot like you in that he talks to me like I'm somebody. Like I'm not a brainless… dunderhead." The girl sniffled as her tears reflected a long suppressed anger, her voice growled, "That. _Bad_. Daddy was mean! He hurt you, an' me, Mummy, an' Professor Snape didn't shout at you. He pertected us!"

Rose slipped off the bed and with a sprint that Hermione had not expected, Rose was out the door of the guest room thumping down the hallway. Hermione groaned when Rose began to shout, "Professor Snape! Professor Snape! Where are you?"

Just as Hermione dashed into the hallway she nearly collided with a smiling Luna. "Good morning, Hermione. It sounds like Rose is awake." Both women could hear the child still shouting although it was a bit quieter for the both of them.

"I'm so sorry, Luna!" Hermione blushed with mortification. "Rosie is so much better behaved than this… I… oh Circe! I'd better go after her."

Luna smiled serenely and turned away from the retreating figure of the witch to greet her two curious sons. Remus was yawning and rubbing sleep from his eyes, and Severus, never a morning boy, was glowering darkly.

Grabbing each boy before they could protest, Luna kissed their cheeks. Remus blushed but Severus wiped his mother's kiss from his cheek. "That's embarrassing, Mum," he sneered, so very much like his godfather.

"I know it is, Severus," Luna winked at her dark-haired son and smoothed the silken strands. Almost imperceptibly she could feel him lean into the touch. She laughed softly. "I'm your mother so that means I get to kiss you and embarrass you both until you're each 200."

Remus beamed at his mother. "That's all right with me, Mum. Just don't do that when we're at school in front of everyone."

Severus let out a huff, and agreed. "Yeah! We'd like die, or worse, Mum!"

Luna pouted. "But it would be so perfect at Hogwarts if I kissed each of you in front of your professors, wouldn't it?"

Severus actually snarled where Remus' lips thinned and he crossed his arms over his chest. His brow furrowed and in that moment the resemblance of the twins was sharp. "That's not nice, Mum. You're teasing and dad said that's not _never _on."

"That's a double negative, zip head," muttered Severus.

Remus whirled to face his brother. "Hey! You're not s'posed to call me names, vampire boy!"

With stylish alacrity Luna caught Severus as he lifted a fist to his his brother. Without looking at Remus, a blink of a second later she had also caught his raised fist. Drawing them both to her, she kissed each of them soundly. The fight was instantly defused before it had begun. With another twist of both her hands her fingers were now entwined between those of each son. "So, who's up for some breakfast, boys?"

Author: etherian


	30. Chapter 30 They Will Be Safe

Severus entered the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and was immediately assaulted by 10 stone of weight thrown against him. Nearly losing his balance, he fell against the door, and scowled down at the wizard attempting to squeeze him to death.

"Severus, thank Merlin you're alright! I wanted to see you last night but Luna and Hermione demanded I wait until morning," Harry said, emotion cracking his voice. He didn't know what he would do if he ever lost the one stable father figure left in his life.

Severus snorted. "Indeed, I must remember to give them my sincerest gratitude especially if this is how you planned on inquiring about my welfare Harry. I cannot breathe," Severus said as he attempted to detach himself from the obviously emotional young man. The fact that Lucius was sitting at the long table watching the exchange with a smirk of amusement on his face while attempting to slice fruit, did nothing to make Severus' foul mood any better.

Unfortunately, the distraught wizard wasn't listening, because he continued to hug Severus like he would disappear at any given moment. Severus sighed, and pushed Harry away with more force.

"Harry, please, I am fine, honestly…POTTER!"

Hearing his surname broke Harry from his state of disarray and looked up, blinking in embarrassment.

"S-sorry Severus," he said as he pulled himself away from the frowning wizard. "I was just concerned because I haven't seen you since I dropped you here last night, unconscious and extremely ill. I know Luna and Hermione said you were recovering, but, well, you know how it is," Harry said, a blush creeping into his cheeks. He had never forgiven himself for leaving Severus for dead in the Shrieking Shack, and had made a vow to always keep the older wizard safe if it was within his ability to do so.

Severus' lips tightened into a thin line as he regarded the wizard in front of him. It wasn't often they were in this position, as it was usually the other way around with him saving the latter.

"I suppose it is to you I owe my gratitude then, for bringing me to safety," Severus said, somewhat uncomfortably as he sat down beside Lucius at the long oak table. Lucius levitated a cup of strong coffee toward Severus who accepted it gratefully, if somewhat irritably. He knew his old friend was enjoying this spectacle a little too much.

Harry sat opposite them, and rifled a hand through his dark mess of hair as he always did when he was nervous. He plucked eggs from a nearby basket and started to crack them into one of Xenophilius' rabbit shaped bowls that had been a wedding present from his father-in-law. The rabbit turned its head to wink at him as eggs filled its belly. Harry shook his head before he spoke.

"Actually, I only brought you here; it is Lucius yo whom you should be thanking Severus. He stopped you from killing Ro- Bilius, and also Floo'd me for help in time to bring you to safety. I can honestly say we all worked together, but in the end, it was Lucius' quick thinking that saved you." Harry's words ended in a mumble. He expected Severus to be a touch tense – when was he ever not, it seemed. But, this was the godfather to his children! Severus had not bitten so sharply at him in a very long time.

Severus turned his dark gaze toward his best friend, and now had the pleasure of seeing Lucius in the same uncomfortable spot.

"Really Lucius, I had no idea you had such a _saviour__complex_. My deepest gratitude," Severus said bowing his dark head, not even attempting to hide the huge smirk on his face.

Lucius felt the heat rise in his cheeks, as he waved both men off like an annoying pestilence. "If you want to thank me, then help me slice these damn bananas Severus," Lucius said as he gracefully dropped two bunches of the yellow fruit in front of the still smirking Potions Master. "Mrs. Potter insists the_men_ make breakfast this morning. I mean honestly Severus, do I look like a House Elf? Never mind," he said holding up a banana stained hand. "Do not answer that."

Both Harry and Severus watched Lucius try as elegantly as he could to peel back the yellow fruit without getting any under his well manicured nails, and shook their heads as they exchanged a knowing smirk.

_Some things about Lucius would never change._

Soon the three men fell into a comfortable routine in the warm kitchen, with Lucius peeling the bananas, which Severus diced and handed to Harry, who mixed them into his famous griddlecake batter. (Well famous according to the twins and his wife.) Pots of coffee and tea made their rounds as the conversation flowed from one topic to the next beginning with the health of the twins and the Potters' expected daughter, to Draco's apprenticeship with Ollivander, Severus and Hermione's business and finally to the matter of Bilius. Just at the mention of his name, a flash of a memory stung across Severus' field of vision and he sat there, knife held mid slice. In that moment, both Lucius and Harry noted that the man they had both known as a reserved, even a dangerous wizard, had returned.

"_You call this a muffin 'Mione? What the hell is this? It's like eating a frickin brick! I married you for a reason; can't you even cook like my mum?"_

_Hermione cowered against the kitchen counter for a brief moment, before squaring her shoulders and standing straight to face her husband._

_"__These ARE from your mum Ron. You know I don't have much time to cook when I work 12 hours days at the Auror Crorp. Molly brought these a few days ago. If you just let me warm it up for you…"_

_"__Shut up'Mione!" The sharp sting of the metal registered across her face before she even realised he had hit her using the flat head of the butter knife he had been holding. "We wouldn't have to eat old food if you'd just do your job like any wife should."_

_Hermione held her face and watched the blood drip between her pale fingers like delicate red lace. She looked up at Ron in horror._

_"__I am doing my job! Can you say the same? You're not even here for Rosie or me half-"_

_Another slap, but this time with a full open palm, sent her head crashing against the cupboard. She slumped to the ground and the last thing she saw before the darkness took her, was her daughter crouched behind the old sofa in the sitting room, Babbity clutched in her hand._

"SEVERUS!"

Severus jumped and held the knife out at Harry who was now sitting on the other side of him. The knife in his hand was shaking violently. How could he have done that to Hermione? How could she look at him?

"Severus, put down the knife. It's only me, it's Harry. Please." The emerald eyes that met his dark grey were calm and full of concern.

"Severus," Lucius said gently as he reached over and slipped the knife from Severus' grasp. "It is alright my friend. You know what is happening. You are a Legilimens, Severus. The memories you are experiencing are _not_ your own. As horrid as most of them are, you need to separate them, and let them go."

Severus stared down at the hands that had struck his Hermione, and shame filled him. His logical mind knew that he had never laid a finger on the young witch, but his memories- no Bilius' memories were telling him otherwise.

Severus closed his weary eyes and held his head in his hands, breathing deeply.

"I apologise to both of you. Sometimes his memories come unbidden and I see myself in his stead. I….Po-Harry, I want him locked up for life if not dead. I swear to you, if he does not get what he deserves I will…"

Harry placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. Lucius followed suit.

"I promise you Severus, Bilius is going to be incarcerated for life. He used Dark Magic against an innocent woman trying to kill her, and almost did the same to his own daughter. Had it not been for you, they would have been dead. I swear to you Severus, Bilius will pay if it is the last thing I do." Harry spoke every word with venom that made even Lucius shudder.

Lucius gave Severus' shoulder one last squeeze, before resuming his work with the bananas in front of him. Talking to Severus in his current state of mind was never a good idea. He remembered many times when The Dark Lord had forced Severus to perform the kind of Legilimency he had used on Bilius. Recovery time could take anywhere from days to months, sometimes even years depending on the severity of the trauma witnessed, and parts of it would always remain within the Legilimens like a cloying perfume that lingered even beyond washing. Lucius was thankful he never had the talent for the art. He could not even imagine what Severus was going through.

_The Granger girl better be damn worth it for his friend to be going through this. Had the man not been through enough already?_

Severus grasped for the normalcy of their actions as he mentally pushed away the memories – belonging to Bilius – that he was now plagued with. Eventually, things in the kitchen resumed their order with Harry flipping banana griddle cakes, Lucius brewing tea and coffee, and Severus slicing bread for toast. The conversation was light, but it was evident that Severus was not acting the same since the memory flash. He was distant and cold, with a frost over his charcoal grey eyes that held no warmth. Though it unnerved the other two men, they said nothing, choosing instead to set up for breakfast. Harry wanted to speak with Luna about it as soon as possible, and tried to finish the griddle cakes faster than required, even burning some of them in the process.

Once breakfast was set up, Severus retreated to the corner to sit by the cosy fireplace of the kitchen and stare into the open, hissing flames. Lucius strode over to Harry, and removed the spatula from his hand.

"Go talk to your wife about Severus. Perhaps she should inform Hermione as well. I will take over for you." Lucius whispered quietly so Severus would not hear.

Harry gratefully handed Lucius the spatula and pan. "Don't burn them Malfoy. I have a reputation with these cakes," he said trying to add some light into what he knew was going to be a rather bad situation.

Lucius smirked as he took the proffered items and proceeded to flip a griddle cake like it was nothing. Harry took one last look at Severus' huddled form before leaving to find his wife and Hermione.

_"__Professor Snape! Professor Snape! Where are you?"_

Lucius turned at the sound that was growing louder by the second. Cursing to himself, he put down the spatula just as the door to the kitchen burst open.

_"__Professor Snape!__Professor Snape! There you are!"_

"Child," Lucius began as he reached out to grab Rose before she could get to Severus, but like a little monkey, she was too quick for the older wizard and dodged his hands running instead to the corner where the Potions Master was sitting.

"Professor Snape!" She laughed, as she climbed without any invitation onto his lap and twined her hands around his neck until her fingertips could play with the silky dark strands that fascinated her. Rose loved colours, and the black of his hair sometimes shone blue in the right light. She loved watching it.

Severus blinked and looked down at the girl in his lap, seeing her for the first time.

"Rose? What…what are you doing here?" he asked, still not touching her. For some reason, she did not seem to mind this at all, instead pressing her little round body closer to his. Her strawberry curls fanned out against the dark of his frockcoat resembling almost an abstract painting.

"Professor Snape, I've been looking everywhere for you. I was so worried 'bout you. I wanted to thank you for savin' mummy and me. You din' yell at her and you were so brave against that _arse_ of a man."

Somewhere in the background Lucius tried to choke back his laughter. If anyone could move the Potions Master, it was this little monkey to be sure. She definitely had bite. Maybe she could help him after all. He stood back to watch with interest, his silvery grey eyes narrowing.

"Language Miss Sna-Granger." Severus jaw dropped in shock. Had he almost called her..Snape? Looking down at the plump and smiling girl in his lap, his heart suddenly filled with a joy he had known when the Potter twins had been smaller, and wanted to be hugged. Even so, the feeling for this child still took him by surprise. Slowly, he brought his arms around her, holding her close.

Rose pressed her head against Severus' chest and sighed in contentment as a feeling of safety and love washed over her. She had never felt like this with her own father. The child did not know that it was a feeling Severus Snape had not felt that belonged solely to him to for, well, for as long as he was alive. Rose wondered, _was this what it was like to have a real daddy?_

Severus kissed the top of her strawberry curls and imagined what it would have been like had he made better choices in his early life. What road would he have gone down? Would he have had his own family with a wife and children by now? Perhaps even a daughter like Rose. He closed his eyes and wished with all his heart that Rose had been his and not Bilius'.

She _should_ have belonged to him. She _should_have been a Snape. Rose Athene Snape. Just thinking of the name sent a surge of pride through him that melted the frost in his eyes. _His daughter,_ his and Hermione's…

Hermione should have been _his_ wife. He would never have hurt her….

Severus' mind turned viciously upon him as Ron Weasley's memories of his life with Hermione rose like a dagger. The memories stabbed, and drew blood.

_You did hurt her. Rose saw it all. And here you sit, like an innocent lamb, holding this guileless child. You know she __**will**__see you. And she __**will**__know how much you have hurt Hermione._

_His lip curled in a sneer as his mind taunted, think to save Rose, do you?_

"Miss Granger, please detach yourself from me," he said coldly as he pushed her from his lap, an internal struggle of pain playing out behind his cold grey eyes.

Rose looked up at him startled by the sudden change in demeanour that had come over _her_ Professor.

"P-professor, I-I don't understand…" she stammered as she stood in front of him. She shuffled her feet back and forth in nervousness under his frosty gaze.

"What is not to understand Miss Granger? I asked you to move away from me. Please do so." His deadened eyes flicked back to the fire ignoring everything around him.

"Severus, no," Lucius voiced softly as a griddle cake began to burn.

Hermione, who had come into the kitchen minutes before, watched the exchange beside Lucius with horrified eyes. He had tried to explain to her the previous night what was happening with Severus, but seeing it first-hand made the experience much more frightening. Ron had caused this, and it made her blood boil. She and Severus had barely begun their relationship, and she could see it was already dying like the embers in the fire he was watching so intensely.

"Rosie, come here," she finally spoke as she held out her hands to the sobbing child who ran reluctantly into them. Hermione lifted the little distraught girl up to her hip.

"Wh-what's wrong with P-professor Snape? Don't he wants us anymore? Did I do something bad mummy? Rose asked as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

Lucius pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to the young girl. He vanished the griddle cakes on the griddle. "Severus is not well Miss Rose. It might be advisable for your mother to speak with him alone before breakfast. Come; shall we go see the twins? I have heard Master Remus has quite a Frog Card collection."

Rosie nodded, and Hermione gratefully transferred Rose from her hip to Lucius'. It had been a long time since he had held a tiny Draco so he seemed a little stiff at first, but eventually found his footing, and with a nod toward his best friend he left the kitchens with a sniffling Rose in his arms.

Hermione took a deep breath and walked over to the corner where Severus was sitting. She was about to take the opposite chair when he stood up and locked his cold grey eyes onto her.

"I understand that you and your daughter still need a place to live until you can find a new home. Perhaps Potter can offer you rooms here at Grimmauld Place, in fact it might be more comfortable that way. The choice is yours. Either way, I need to Floo home as I have a business to run, and I have done all I can do for you and Rose at this time. Potter will let me know when the trial for B-Bilius- "Severus flinched as another memory hit him, but he continued, "-will begin. You and your daughter will probably have to testify no doubt. You and Rose are strong. You will be fine." Severus made a move to leave, but Hermione pulled his arm and stopped him.

"Don't you dare," Hermione began in the face of Severus' dark glare. "Severus please don't leave me like this. I _know_ what is happening. None of this is your fault."

Severus tried to glare down at the small hand that clutched hard into his right arm and felt an overwhelming pain course through his mind. Memories that were not his assaulted him. Half-heartedly he tried to step away but Hermione stepped decisively in front of him.

Firmly she spoke, despite the pain that threatened to close her voice. "I _don't_ want to stay here Severus. I _want_ to go back to Spinner's End. I want you. Rosie wants you. T-that is our home now Severus, if you'll have us?" Hermione hated to put her heart on the line and embarrass herself like this, but she didn't know what else to do. He couldn't leave them.

_He couldn't. She would not allow it!_

Severus turned to look into her doe soft eyes, and for a few seconds, she saw the Severus she knew flicker across the deep grey, slicing the cold like the warm sun. _This_ was the Severus who had worshipper her body and whose kisses melted her insides like wildfire. _This_was the man who would die to protect her and Rose at all costs and who loved her daughter like his own, then he was gone, replaced again by the cold frost of indifference.

"I am sorry Miss Granger, but I cannot allow you to be hurt anymore. What happened between us was a mistake," he said through clenched teeth, bile rising in his chest. _He would never hurt her again_. "It would be better for you and Rose to stay here. I am making other arrangements for Vienna, and will contact you with the details when I have acquired them. I will _not_ be needing your presence for the symposium. I-I am truly sorry for everything Herm- Miss Granger."

Severus quickly pulled out of her grasp, and before he could look into her eyes again, he Disapparted directly to Spinner's End, making sure to change the wards so she and Rose could not follow him.

_At least now, they would be safe._

_**Author: Master Severus Snape with modifications and changes by etherian**_

_**A/N: Two chapters for you since I may not get to the next update quick enough.**_


	31. Chapter 31 I Cannot Hurt You

"_I am sorry Miss Granger, but I cannot hurt you anymore. What happened between us was a mistake…"_

_…__a mistake… a mistake…_ Hermione felt something inside of her wilting as those awful sounding words echoed and rattled about in her head like cathedral bells. She had no idea that her legs had simply stopped supporting her.

Lucius caught the witch beneath her arms just as he interpreted the signs in her body that Severus' words were more devastating than an Unforgivable. It was a near miss as he had just returned to the kitchen for some pumpkin juice for Rose and the twins whom he had met at the bottom of the stairs. Luna had asked him to fetch the juice while she had parted from him, towards the living room, with the children.

"Miss Granger!" he spoke firmly to the woman as he helped her to sit in a chair.

"He left me," she whispered. Her voice was as dry and as dead as that of an Inferi.

Lucius seated himself opposite the woman. "Look at me, young lady," he ordered. He continued after her wounded gaze fell to his stern grey eyes. "Severus is not leaving you. He is confused. Bilius' memories are taking over his own and he is interpreting them as things he has done to you."

He saw the hardening focus of Hermione's gaze. "Two sets of memories," Hermione gasped in understanding. Lucius smiled inwardly. She was understanding him. "You know he is the most powerful Legilimens that we know of, Hermione. He… forced himself into an unwilling mind to cause harm, but those memories, what he saw he also experienced. Had I not stopped him he most assuredly would have killed the whelp, but he would have died, too, or gone to madness."

"He can still go mad and lose himself," her voice whispered in horror.

"Correct, Miss Granger. One set of memories not of his own and currently the stronger since, in his guilt, he will not let them go. If he allows them to continue to consume him, they shall. He will not only be lost to you, but to all of us." Lucius watched as determination wound through the young witch's body. This was the the woman of the Golden Trio, one third of those Gryffindors that had brought an end to Voldemort.

"Guilt?"

Lucius nodded. "Severus believes he should have known what Bilius was doing to you, and that he could have helped you sooner."

"But he couldn't!" she protested. "Nobody knew… the Glamours… I-I need to go to him, but… he'll have strengthened his wards after Ron broke through them."

"Indeed," agreed Lucius. "The man is no fool." He smiled smugly. "However, I know of a way to get you into his house."

Hermione rose from the chair, and looked down upon the patrician. "How?"

There was no mess. And, it was a bit like Floo'ing but more liquid feeling. In fact, it was a part of the Floo system, if an unconventional one. With a telling flush Hermione was spewed from a small Floo in a hidden room in Malfoy Manor to the downstairs toilet of the house at Spinner's End. The water in the bowl had, thankfully, turned to the harmless green that the flames of a fire became. Still…

"That's absolutely disgusting!" exclaimed Hermione.

A voice, from a distance, warbled like a wave through the still green glowing interior of the toilet, "So it is, Miss Granger, however you are no doubt, in Severus' home."

"I am. Thank you, Lucius." The green glow of the Floo gurgled oddly, and Hermione stepped back warily. A small, floppily soft stuffed animal flipped out of the bowl, with an ominous flush, and like a Seeker she caught the stuffed animal. "Elly?"

Lucius' warbled voice emanated from the green glow once more, "Miss Rose had me send it to you along with a message for Severus."

"Oh dear…" Hermione exclaimed sadly. "What is the message?"

"Miss Rose's exact words were, 'if he don't want me, I don't want Elly.'" Hermione cuddled the small plushie to her chest. "Miss Granger, if I may?" continued Lucius.

"Yes?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"The girl is hurt and angry. Do not let Severus burn the token, as he might do in his own confused emotions and hurt."

"Don't worry, Lucius," smiled Hermione. "I know just where to put Elly. Will Rose be all right with you?"

"Your daughter is currently with Mrs. Potter and her progeny, Miss Granger. I shall immediately return as it seems I am still expected to partake of breakfast." A faint, warbling chuckle rippled to greenish glow. "Frankly, I am rather curious about these banana pancakes that are greatly lauded by the Potters. So, take care, Miss Granger."

The glowing green vanished and back in its place was the quiet and thankfully clean toilet water.

"That really is vile," muttered Hermione as she left the bathroom. "Whoever thought up Commode Mode Travel ought to be slapped." She then giggled. "Loo Floo?"

She was home.

Hermione paced in Rose's room. Not even inhabited for a week, there were already small indications that Rose had accepted this as her room. The easel that Severus had placed in the library now resided by the window and nearby were several drawings. In her daughter's room Hermione placed Elly the Velveteen Rabbit on the comfortable bed to hold court until she was accepted by Rose once again. The last thing that caught her eye were some small, pretty stones, a faded flower, and a small phial filled with dirt. What such treasures were, and meant to the little girl, were a mystery.

_And Severus was just such a mystery to Hermione._

His mercurial moods irritated the witch as she recalled that morning. The touches that explored and promised so much. His kisses… ohhhh, and he told her that he loved her! _But, he wasn't being mercurial, was he_, an inner voice reminded her. She nodded to herself. Severus had Ron's bloody memories.

Every word that had cut like a knife, every blow of Ron's fist, the loathing as he took her like some Knockturn whore… Severus had that poison in his mind and now believed that it was he who had done those things to her, and to Rose.

_Should she stay here until he discovered her?_

"Oh for Circe's sake, no I won't!" she spat at herself. Breaking from what she knew was really her own hesitation, she left Rose's bedroom and quickly descended the stairway and moved into the living room.

Severus was not there. It showed no sign of yesterday's altercation. Glancing at the miniature bar she saw a sliver of light that pointed to the hidden library's door being open. She went behind the bar, slipped through the open door, and was momentarily struck by the streams of light that came through the tall windows and dappled the wooden floors with their various dots of coloured glass. The sun warmed the library in more than just temperature; the whole room seemed to welcome her and she smiled. The scent of the books wafted about her like a gentle breeze, almost dancing amongst the beauty of the handmade shelves, gamboling past the scattering of comfortable chairs, and the research tables at either end of the library by roll-top desks.

Making her way through the library she found Severus seated in a chair and looking out upon his slowly Spring-awakening garden. For a moment she froze and watched him. The wizard was seated but was bent in defeat. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and murmured Hermione's name with pain. She moved gracefully into his view and then without asking permission, Hermione seated herself upon the bench of the bay window. The guilt in his eyes was painful to see.

"You could not have broken my wards," he spoke stonily and in the next moment his anger clipped each word. "How. did. you. get. Here?"

"Lucius showed me..."

Severus interrupted and his face darkened into an angry glower. "That meddling fop! Loo Floo…" he growled a sentence Hermione couldn't quite understand. She _did_ hear Lucius' name and something to do with a potion that re-arranged one's anatomy. She swallowed as a small part of her just wanted to run away. Hermione was a woman who had a dubious childhood at Hogwarts constantly fighting a dangerous wizard, and she had a further hard adulthood. She would _not_ be afraid of Severus any longer.

"It wasn't you, Severus," she began quietly. Her fingers wrapped into the folds of her skirt; the skirt she had not changed in three days. Of course, she had nothing in which to dress other than this long skirt, and simple blouse. "It was not you that hurt me."

"What are you babbling about, Miss Granger?" he asked acerbically. The sharpness was underlined by the weariness of his body as he slouched more in the chair he had remained in.

Hermione glanced up sharply. "It is _Hermione_," she corrected stiffly. "I am no longer a little girl, nor your student and refuse to accept being addressed as such. Besides, at the very least, _Severus_, we are friends."

"And friends _sleep_ together, Miss… _Hermione_? They kiss to comfort each other, do they?" His sneer was half-hearted, at best. Images of himself… no, of Bilius hitting Hermione in the abdomen after one of their arguments added to the bone weariness that settled into his lean frame.

"Stop it," she ordered firmly. "Don't you dare demean what happened… or _me_." At least that admonition had forced his eyes to meet hers. She saw… skittishness in his dark grey eyes. Was he actually afraid of her? She thought, then, of her own memories of her marriage. He had relived those. Her memories were his now. She had to make him understand. "What Ron did… to me, Severus. That was not _you_ that hurt me."

"I should have realised," he began softly, his tone nearly dripping with guilt.

"_What?_ That he was insulting me in front of his friends, beating me…" her voice hitched with her anger, but she pushed forward, "…r-r-raping me?" She sat up straighter and in her voice and demeanour was the conviction of her years. "My Glamours are _very good_, Severus, so how were you to know anything?"

Severus leaned forward, his back teeth gritting as he ground out, "The night you came to me telling me that he blamed you for your son's death, I saw the bruise on your wrist, Hermione. So much like the ones my own mother covered with make-up. I should have known!"

Hermione stood suddenly so she could glare down at him, "One little bruise should tell you of my life?! No one knew, Severus! Not my Healer, not Molly or Arthur or any of their sons or Ginny, nor anyone at work! They saw the happy little Golden Girl married to her Golden Boy with two happy children! And, that's all I ever showed you, too! You could **not** have known…"

Severus, refusing to be cowed in his own home, stood up from his chair to tower over the shorter woman. "Now I know it all," he stated flatly with a deadened scowl. "I lived it and felt it. I exulted in your every humiliation, _Hermione_, I…"

She did not flinch or back away, but lay the palm of her hand over his heart.

"You could not have begun to know anything about the truth, Severus. Guessed, perhaps," she smiled sadly. "I _wish_ you had hit him, instead, Severus. Beaten him to a bloodied pulp." Lightly she touched her fingertips to his cheek. Her hand fluttered nervously. "Severus, please let go of those awful memories, please." He had not pulled away from her feathery touch but his eyes had shut tight. Beneath the lids in that darkness those vicious memories flitted past, taunting him. With a little more steel to her nerve, she cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand. "You protected Rosie and I, Severus. You are a very dear friend." Her voice dropped to a shy whisper, "Last night… this morning…"

"That… was a mistake," he rasped hoarsely.

Her ire rose at the desperation beneath those painful words. "I'm not stupid, Severus!" He flinched from her hand upon his cheek but she ignored it and placed her hand more firmly against the rough bit of stubble that was there. Taking the anger from her tone, she spoke to him as she had that morning, quietly, intimately, "That kiss, our touches, were what we both wanted, and needed. It was _no_ mistake." She moved agonisingly closer, and her words were breathy, but certain. "Do you know how you make me feel?"

Grasping the hand over his heart and twining his fingers between hers, he opened his eyes. He could not utter a word. The depth of his dark grey eyes showed his desire to answer her question only to be interrupted as an image of Bilius crushing her upraised fingers in his own stubby hand when she tried to defend herself blinked across his mind.

_That was _**_not_**_me, his mind declared._

Hermione seeing the pain of the fight within his mind playing out upon his brow kept her talking. "You make me feel safe, but even more than that, Severus, you make me feel like something to be cherished, to be fought over and protected from harm." The lovely young witch kissed each of his knuckles and then brought the back of his hand to the warmth of her cheek. "What you saw in Ron's mind are _his_ memories, not yours. If you _had_ known, if I _had_ told you, or even shown you, I _know_ you would have stopped him then."

"Hermione," he whispered as his other hand cupped her cheek. Both her hands were now against his chest. He desperately wanted to believe what she was saying was true. "Why did you not tell me if you knew this of me?"

"I was afraid, Severus. Ohh, not for myself, but for Rosie. Regardless of how Ron felt about her, he knew that Wizarding law favoured the biological father in a wizarding marriage. Had he wanted to, at any time, he could have given his daughter over to his parents, or to anyone else." She shifted and lay her cheek against his chest. She missed the touch of his hand in hers, but very soon his hands were against her back, his arms drawing her firmly into his embrace. "Of course Molly would have let me see Rosie at any time, but then she would not have been mine. And, I would have been… alone… so awfully, and terribly, alone."

Hermione pulled away sharply but did not sever their embrace. "You told me that you love me, Severus. Will you tell me now that was a lie to comfort me in the face of those memories you witnessed and experienced?"

For a long, and terrifying moment for Hermione, Severus did not speak. When he did, it was after he kissed her; the kiss a benediction of his truth. Drawing her close, he spoke softly into her ear as he brushed his lips against it, "It was no lie, Hermione. I _do_ love you. Sometimes I do not know where I am, but then you are here, in my arms, and I, too, feel safe and protected."

"Oh, Severus," she breathed, tightening her arms around him. "I don't ever want to go away from you. You invited Rosie and I into your home and we have both begun, in such a terribly short time, to think of it as home. Let us stay?" He could only nod as he drew Hermione fiercely into his arms. The witch breathed steadily, and smiled against his chest. Rising slightly on her tip-toes she tickled his ear with her lips as she whispered sweetly, "I love you, too, Severus."

_**A/N: Thanks you to everyone who has left reviews. I have not heard from my writing partner, but I have sent all your kind words to her so that she can read them when she gets her computer back.**_

_**A touch of lemons is up next, but I will be doing some re-writing on that chapter since it's a bit of a blush for me. Keep on reading good readers!**_


	32. Chapter 32 Together Part I

_**A/N: Mild lemons ahead, warning.**_

* * *

_"__Oh, Severus, I love you, too."_

Severus literally stopped breathing at her words. He looked down at the woman who stood in the circle of his embrace, and searched her hazel eyes hard for any traces of humour or falsities and was astounded when he found none. Bilius' memories were rising up in h is thoughts, as if jealous of their revealed affections. Those vile memories clouded his perceptions and he began forcing them back and into a fathomless, dark well of oblivion.

_"__Severus,"_

How was it possible that she could give her heart to him after what he-_no Bilius_- had done to her? How could she trust him so completely?

_"__Severus?"_

He had thought he would have to wait months or even years to hear those three words given to him so willingly, and he would have been more than prepared to do so, even if it had taken the rest of their natural lives. He was a patient man, well, as patient as a Slytherin could be anyway.

_"__SEVERUS!"_

Severus thoughts tilted dangerously as Bilius' dark thoughts sought to trap his as he attempted to purge them. Their kiss, her declaration spread through him, trying to soothe and boost his Self, but a panic welled up as he feared losing himself in the ugliness of another. He wanted to grasp onto the feathery emotions that ought to cascade over him in bliss. He felt his heart beat tightly and he clawed at the cravat around his throat.

_"__Severus, breathe!"_

Severus blinked and let go the air he did not even realise he had been holding in. As oxygen flooded his brain once more, he looked down at the witch in his arms. In her eyes, their warmth, he found calm and safety.

Severus did breathe, and for a moment he concentrated on just his breathing. He did hold Hermione loosely in his arms, though. She felt... right... in his arms and he was suddenly and reluctantly unwilling to let her go.

In his arms she lightly kissed his jawline until her lips reached his mouth. Tentatively, perhaps shyly, her kiss brushed over his lips. The response was a sudden one that had Hermione backing out of his arms instinctively.

"Hermione, no!" Severus almost reached to stop her, but he halted his grasp.

Bilius had often 'attacked' her in such a disarming manner. The inept, cruel young man never approached his wife with any concern to her feelings. He frowned; angry at himself, and at Bilius.

Hermione approached the wizard as the dark thoughts of her ex-husband seeped through his mind. "I want you, Severus. I do. Just..."

He nodded, and closed his eyes. "I understand, Hermione." Severus did not move but opened his arms to her, inviting her. Hermione took a deep breath, then threw all caution to the wind as she equally threw herself into his embrace.

They kissed, hungrily, exploring, yet for both their was a touch of trepidation. He did not want to be refused, she did not want to be hurt.

As their kisses continued, each relaxed into the other. Trepidation trickled away and arousal, for both, rose like a slowly growing flame between them. Severus caught the back of the witch's head, enjoying the feel of his fingers in her heavy curls. He tipped his head to the left and gently nudged her head to the right.

They could breathe, better, and not break the kiss. It deepened as their tongues touched, then teased, then devoured.

Severus felt her pushing him, but not to push him away. He chuckled softly as Hermione broke their kiss and lifted her head. She smiled, smirked even, as her hazel eyes burned with an intensity that caused him to shudder.

"Bedroom, Severus," she whispered.

"This way, my lady," The wizard drew her to his bedroom door whereupon he kicked it open. His hands were too busy touching, grasping, searching for her desirable skin.

Hermione, too, let her hands explore through the robes and the frock coat the wiry frame of the Potions Master. His robe had slid off his shoulders but the buttons, cloth covered in silk, caused her fingers to fumble over themselves.

Hermione grumbled something that ended, "...thought sexy...!"

Severus dropped his larger hands over hers to still them. "I hate to admit it but we _would_ be here until tomorrow should you continue trying to undo my buttons," a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

Hermione glowered. "Well? What do I do? Frankly, I want you naked!" Severus spluttered, and Hermione now had the smug grin gracing her lips.

"Hmph!" he frowned mockingly. "If our goals were not the same I would have you apply your intelligence to finding the trick to my buttons."

"There's a trick?" scoffed Hermione. "Show me, please?"

Severus caught her chin, and kissed her lightly. "You beg so nicely, dear girl." With that he touched his thumb to the uppermost button and then quickly ran his thumb pad down the line of buttons. The coat parted, like the Red Sea, to reveal the simple white shirt beneath.

The shirt went much easier than the frock coat and very quickly Hermione's warm hands were caressing the skin of his chest and stomach.

Severus moaned softly at Hermione's delicate, hesitant exploration. He wanted to take her into his arms and to drop with her onto his bed, but suddenly she had become nervous, like a deer expecting the hunter.

On the other hand, Hermione was cursing herself inwardly for the nerves that swelled up inside of her. She was hardly a blushing virgin after two children, but she felt so different in front of Severus. She was something used, damaged even, yet that is not what she felt as his hands undid the buttons on her blouse, then cupped her heavy breasts through her simple cotton bra.

"So beautiful," he murmured, and Hermione wanted to cry as he leaned forward to draw her against his chest, and kiss her.

_It had been so long since anyone cherished her in such a way._

"Severus?" her voice began tremulously.

Keeping her cocooned, safe, he leaned back to look down upon this lovely woman in his arms.

"I don't... please don't think I don't want this... don't... don't pull away, please?" she begged as she captured the deep grey eyes with her own.

He cupped her face gently into his hands and kissed her forehead, nose, and then brushed his lips to hers. "I am not going anywhere, Hermione. Are you sure...?"

"Yes! Yes, oh yes, Severus. I am sure!" Her breath was passion itself as she laced her fingers at the nape of his neck to pull him down to her lips.

As Severus tongue daringly slipped past her lips he fancied that she tasted of cool raspberries, the Summer breeze, and acceptance. It was she who pushed him back onto his bed. He caught her and they both tumbled upon the mattress.

Rolling over on top of the witch he held himself up by his hands on either side of her shoulders.

"I do not intend to let you go... Mistress Granger," he smirked.

"Mistress Granger?" Hermione giggled at the old-fashioned address. It was even funnier with her blouse open, and his shirt hanging from the waist of his trousers.

"And, are you Master Snape?"

He dropped beside her but immediately drew her into his arms. "Technically, as a Potions Master I have always been a 'master'. Here, now, though..." he kissed her hungrily, "I would be your equal. My desires would be yours as yours would be mine."

Severus let his warm breath trickle into her ear like melted chocolate as he drew her lobe into his mouth and suckled on it while his thumbs gently caressed the pulse points on the inside of her wrists with slow sensual strokes.

Hermione was overwhelmed with the foreign yet blissful feelings of love and desire, everything around her faded into the background. This was their world as the past several days melted from her mind as she allowed her own personal ache for happiness to take over without feeling guilty for once. She would always be there for everyone, especially her daughter, but right now, this small moment in time was for her and the wizard she had chosen to give her heart to. She needed and wanted him more than anything, and had for a very long time, she finally admitted to herself. Her breathing became ragged as she allowed herself to let go and just to feel.

He released her swollen lobe so that he could plant a trail of wet kisses back across her jaw line before stopping to hover his lips just barely out of reach from her own. He heard Hermione suck in her breath with anticipation for the kiss, before he spoke one word, his warm breath a tantalising whisper that brushed over her trembling lips.

_"__Breathe."_

Suddenly, a beautiful sound filled the air, and one she had never really heard before. It sent tingles racing up and down her spine. The sound warmed the room like a quilt on a cold day, and erased every last trace of her anger.

_Severus was laughing, and she had never heard anything more beautiful other than the first cries of her children at birth._

His laughter was rich and warm, not a bark or snort like most people perceived, but deep and velvety like a warm summer evening. He wasn't mocking or teasing, just laughing, his joy spreading throughout his face, smoothing the harsh lines and deepening the grey of his eyes so they shone with affection and something else she thought she would never see in them; humour.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times as she tried to speak, before finally stating with her own shy smile, "Where is Severus Snape, and what have you done with him?"

Severus rolled to the side of Hermione, and propped his head up on one elbow. His silky coal black hair fell gently across his face, while his other hand lazily traced the contours of her stomach and hips. Hermione absently reached up to tuck the long strands behind his ear. His hair was now well past his shoulders and she preferred it long. Most people did not consider Severus Snape a handsome man, at least not in the traditional sense, but Hermione had never preferred _traditional_.

His features were definitely strong, but not harsh or unattractive, in fact, she found herself growing more attracted to the dark wizard with each passing day. Her thoughts were interrupted by his rumble of words.

"In here-with us," he answered with a mock evil sneer.

Hermione's mouth gaped open.

"Now I _know _you'r_e_ not Severus Snape! Quoting a Muggle film and _The Exorcist_ of all films?" she asked, still clearly in shock.

A pinched look crossed Severus' face for a moment, before it fell back into its current relaxed state. He continued to trace her stomach with his hand, before moving it slowly upward.

"As you recall Hermione, I am a Half-Blood mainly brought up on the Muggle side rather than the wizarding, due to my father. My adolescence was during the 1970's, so my knowledge of the culture, especially in music, films and books is quite extensive from that period, and while we are on the subject, I very much enjoy Muggle cinema, especially the classic horror genre."

She absorbed all this new information while trying her best not to be distracted by the fingers ghosting along the curve of her breast in a most delicious manner.

"Even with a Muggle background that doesn't sound like the Severus Snape I know," she said with a chuckle. At her words, his hand froze, and he pulled away, rolling onto his back, to stare up at the forest green canopy overhead.

"You do not _really_ know me Hermione. It seems very few people in my life aside from Arsenius, Harry or Lucius have wanted to make that concerted effort, then again, why should they? It is easy to judge someone from the outside rather than trying to look further in. Is it really that difficult to believe that I could enjoy other things in life besides brewing or books? Then again, I suppose it is all I deserve as the sadistic and greasy bat of the dungeons. If the shoes fits as they say…"

"Oh stop it!" Hermione chided sharply as she moved up to straddle him. The palms of her hands were on his chest as she glared down at him. "Don't you pull that 'pity the poor wizard everybody hates' act on me, Severus. I know what you've shared with me during our teas. The books you let me borrow, the music you played on that battered 8-Track tape player you have, the discussions and arguments we've had. You've never told me anything about growing up with your parents other than it was "bad", and your family was "poor"." Hermione leaned forward and smirked as Severus watched her breasts as they swayed deliciously with the grace of her body closer to his face. Lust filled his gaze, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. She kissed him, then lowered herself so she rested upon his chest.

Severus was all too aware of the warmth of her generous breasts against his chest just as Hermione was aware of a hard, twitching arousal against her belly. Even so, she was not, yet, ready to give up this position. This embrace as Severus had wrapped his arms about her.

"I wanted to, Hermione. To tell you everything, but I could not," he whispered into her curls.

"I know," she sighed. "There was only so much of yourself you could reveal to a married woman."

"Especially not when I wanted not only to give her my past, but my heart, as well." He winced with the pain of Hermione's past from Bilius' fading memories.

Hermione lifted her head and rested her chin upon her hands clasped over his breastbone so she could stare into those dark eyes. And, for a long while it seemed, she merely regarded him.

_It made him feel a bit odd._

_He had wanted to make love to her. Ohhh did her want to love her like she had never before been loved! To touch her, to kiss her... but, she was staring at him._

_It made him feel uneasy._

Just as he thought he ought to end this interlude, she spoke, "The first time I saw you was at some Ministry function. Who knows what it was for, but you were there looking as uncomfortable as any person would be." She smiled wistfully.

Severus caught a curl that dropped across her left eye and wrapped his finger in the silky softness. "Kingsley's birthday. Harry had to go so he dragged me along as an excuse for leaving early."

"Oh yes. Dull party. Poor Kingsley. I think he wanted to leave early, too." Hermione smiled and continued as his finger stroked her cheek, "I remember thinking 'there's my saviour'!"

He chuckled, his chest rumbling beneath hers. "Your saviour?"

"Oh yes! My dark knight in robes of midnight," she waxed poetically. "And, I was so drawn to you, Severus."

"Like a moth to flame, hm? You risked immolation to speak to me that night, Hermione?"

Hermione shifted, a move that Severus found quite stimulating. She kissed his chin, shifted a bit more, and captured the wizard's mouth. Severus groaned and was suddenly on top of Hermione looming over her. Slowly he lowered himself and caught her mouth with his.

His tongue swept into her open mouth with a need to claim and possess every ounce of her. Hermione shuddered as long imprisoned emotions flooded from within, just as her knickers became soaked with desperate excitement. Craving more intimate contact she wrapped her legs around his slender waist. Even as she did so she felt Severus pushing her skirt higher. His heat pressed tightly against her sending waves of pleasure shooting through them both, while never once breaking their passionate kiss.

She felt her courage growing along with her arousal as she reached up to undo his cravat, her lips never leaving his long enough except to draw brief gulps of air. She was desperate to get him undressed and to finally feel the complete skin on skin contact she had only ever dreamed of. She wanted to run her tongue along every raised scar and taste the spiciness of his flesh in order to worship this man, and show him how much she loved him for everything that he was to her.

She tugged the silk cravat off and dropped it carelessly to the floor. Moving her bruised lips away from his, she licked and sucked at the two long silver slashes on his neck that were the testament to his survival. His sudden gasp told her that the spot was especially sensitive, which made her only increase the pressure of her tongue as she grazed her teeth over the marks.

Severus grunted in pleasure before lifting his trembling hand to rip open her shirt. Buttons scattered like pearls as he undid her bra with a single flick of his fingers. Hermione moaned and he allowed a moment of smug acknowledgement to grace his lips as his dark gaze caught her own. With a soft growl he dipped his head to lavish his tongue around her hardened nipples before pulling an exquisite areola into his mouth and sucking greedily at the tender bud.

"Severus... g-god please!"

Pride blazed in his heart when he heard his witch cry out his name with hoarse pleasure.

As they ground against each other frantically, the heat and wetness pooling between her legs was becoming unbearable, and she moaned into his mouth pleading with him to take her. She reached up and roughly pulled him down on top of her and once again they started kissing, but this time she could feel a difference in the way he was kissing her. It was more subdued than before, more controlled, and she could feel him holding back. She knew Severus was probably restraining himself due to the memories of Ron taking her by force.

Severus was not Ron however, and she needed him to see that she was a willing participant in this, and that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Gathering her Gryffindor courage, she made her intentions clear by moving her hands down his back to cup his arse and push her need against his own. Intense desire burned in the pit of her stomach as she watched the reserved wizard's dark eyes suddenly swim in a haze of pleasure, his mouth slack. Growing bolder, and feeling the power she had as a woman, for the first time in her life, she moved her hand to stroke the hardness between his legs, before squeezing his bits. She felt his erection pulse in her hand with desire, and her heart soared at her accomplishment.

_She had done this to him. This man found her desirable, and she wanted nothing more than for them to join their bodies and their minds._

Severus' eyes rolled upward as a sound between a cry and a groan tore from his throat. He lowered his head to her neck, his body shaking with restraint and need.

"Hermione," he groaned heavily, trying to gain back some measure of control. "Are you absolutely sure, my love? I do not want you to regret this decision later, if you are not yet ready."

Hermione lifted his head and met his eyes with confidence and determination. "I've never wanted anything more. Make love to me Severus. I do not want to be separated anymore. I love you_. I want you."_

Severus dropped his head down to nuzzle his nose against her cheek. The past haunted him too often, yet when Hermione was near, her presence chased those spectres away. Touching her, claiming her, sent the vile memory of her ex-husband to the depths of oblivion.

Even so, her words, so long denied him, hurt but in a cleansing way

Hermione felt a hot dampness upon one cheek, and her heart, which knew him better than her mind, understood.

"Severus," she said softly. Her heart wanted to break over the pain so many people had inflicted on this man. They were truly alike in many ways, and the more time they spent together, the more she came to understand that there could never have been any other man for her, except the wizard in her arms.

_It had always been him. How could she not have seen this before?_

She lifted his head and kissed the tip of his hooked nose. "It was always you Severus my love, and it will _always_ be you."

His dark grey gaze met her deepest hazel, and no more words were spoken between them as they finally allowed their bodies to communicate for their hearts; what no language on earth could express.

Hermione thrust her hips towards his as she caught him around the neck to kiss him. Her body was demanding and Severus was only too willing to oblige.

"My darling witch," Severus murmured into her ear, his silken voice a caress that drifted through her nerves. She let out a slow moan that became a pleasurable shriek as he suddenly, almost harshly, buried himself into her depths with a thunderous shout.

"SEVERUS!" Hermione cried out.

Once more he thrust deep as he began to shake. He growled out her name, "Hermione!" and then fell against her. He panted into her ear as she gripped him with her legs and arms. Her kisses were a fevered balm as he was blissfully still ensnared within her web.

Severus caught his hands in her luxurious curls and kissed her fiercely. His tongue dove into her mouth only to meet upon equal ground against hers. Finally, both beyond breathless, he fell to her side but rapidly drew her against his body. With Hermione's back to his chest, her fingers entwined with his at her belly, he nipped soothing kisses against her neck.

_**End Part I of Together**_


	33. Chapter 33 Together Part II

There is a haze, a contentment of sleep after making love, and Hermione had drifted into this twilight world as her body was gently curled against Severus' own. She dreamed, as far as she knew, but her dreams were less the fantastic than they were thoughts that darted, paused for recognition, and continued on their way.

_It was the first time Severus had invited Hermione to Spinner's End. She saw little of the neighbourhood, but it was quickly forgotten as he showed her into his sitting room library. She would not, yet, know of the hidden one behind the wall of the bar._

_"...because I know only too well what it is like not to be forgiven for something I truly never meant to say." Severus had spoken of things never talked about before, baring his soul in a way. Hermione had frozen, afraid to break this confession before the wizard had finished._

_Severus glared down at his left forearm and ran his index finger along the sleeve. Hermione knew that it hid the Dark Mark. She wondered if it was still a hideous looking scar, or if it had faded with Voldemort's death. "My... temper caused me a lifetime of terrible decisions, and the death of the only woman I had ever loved. I sometimes wonder if she had forgiven me, how different my life would have been," he said very softly._

_Hermione instantly felt anger and a deep possessiveness sweep through her like a storm coming out of nowhere._

_Lily._

_Severus had seen that flare of anger, and knowledge. Hermione had seen the memories that he had given to Harry Potter upon his 'death'._

_"Why are you angry, Miss Granger?" he had asked. When he thought he might be ill-disposed towards the woman, he still slipped and called her 'Miss Granger'._

_"Please forgive me, Severus, but Harry only later shared those memories with me because it had become a burden for him. You and he were not, then, the friends you are now and he needed to speak to someone about what he had learned." Hermione sipped at her tea, and once more Severus caught the flash of anger in her hazel gaze. "I am not angry at you, but at Her. She..." for a second she faltered, hesitant about saying Harry's mother' name aloud._

_"Lily," Severus supplied softly, and nodded for her to continue._

_"Lily knew you from childhood, Severus. She'd known you before Hogwarts and had been your friend far longer than she had known the Marauders. It angers me that she could not forgive you for having called her an offensive name." Colour bloomed in Hermione's cheeks with her indignation. "Furthermore, she turned her back on you when you needed a friend the most! Draco called me Mudblood, bullied me in school, yet he defied his batty aunt's wrath to help me and my friends escape Malfoy Manor. If I could forgive Draco, then his mother, and... and his father, why could Lily not have done so for someone who had been her best friend?"_

_Hermione's righteous, agonised gaze looked up into his dark grey eyes. Severus felt his heart swell with great affection at that moment._

_Hermione dropped her gaze to her tea. "It's a pity she never kept your friendship so that she could know you now, Severus. I... I am... so pleased to be your friend."_

Hermione woke from that dream of the past with the warmth of Severus surrounding her. He snored softly into the curls of her hair, and she smiled. She then shifted, turning so she faced him. Slowly his eyes opened, and he smiled to see that he still held her close.

"Knut for your thoughts, my love?" he prompted.

Hermione drew her finger down his nose, and whispered, "I'm thinking of the future... of the possibilities that lie ahead for us." She cuddled closer, tucking her head beneath his chin.

Severus kissed the crown of her head as his hand stroked her back. "Tell me what you see for us."

"I see us, here at Spinner's End, making it a home for the three of us. We go together when you harvest some of your potion ingredients and Rose collects her pretty rocks, and other things that catch her eye. I can see you lecturing to Rose, but..." Hermione giggled softly, "not like you used to lecture us when Harry and I were students."

His soft laughter thrummed through his chest. "Rose is no dunderhead."

Hermione pulled back just enough to glare at him, though a smile touched the corners of her mouth. "I wasn't a dunderhead!"

"No," he mused leaning forward to kiss his lover's nose, "you were a know-it-all."

"Hmph!" she huffed.

Severus pulled Hermione close again, and began to stroke circles upon her back. "I like your dream so far. Tell me more?" Severus really did like Hermione's dream as it was so much like what he had longed for.

"Well, our business is going to be a great success, especially after the conference in Vienna, and... well, there's..." her voice faded. There was more to her dream, but she was a little afraid to speak it aloud. He would be Rose's father, and maybe they would have their own children.

Hermione did not know how closely her dream mirrored Severus'. She could think no longer but of this moment as he drew her into a long, impassioned kiss that stirred the embers of their desire once more.

Much later that afternoon, Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place to collect her daughter, and take her for some much needed shopping, and perhaps even to Elsie's Confectionary in Diagon Alley. She knew Rose preferred pastries over ice cream at Fortescue's.

Even though she and Severus had spent the entire morning making love, for Hermione, the best part was afterwards. They had devoted the better part of the afternoon lying in each other's arms doing nothing more than talking and truly getting to know each other better.

Shyly, Hermione had shared in the moment after a deep-seated desire of having another child; a brother or sister for Rose, and she hoped that Severus would not mind a child of his own. He had smiled, rested his hand upon her belly. His eyes filled with wonder at the thought of her belly round with his child.

"Do you really want to be with me now that you are free from your ex-husband?" he had asked while playing with a long curl and watching it spring back as he let it go.

"If I wanted to learn more, or to research, you would let me, wouldn't you?" she had asked in return. Severus had nodded. "And, you'll love Rose and see to her education?"

"I already love her," Severus mused. He frowned as he recalled how horrid he had been her that very morning after breakfast. "However, what she feels for me, now..."

Hermione kissed his furrowed brow. "Severus, Rose is very forgiving. Let her be mad for awhile, and then just talk to her. She'll understand."

He had then asked about her education knowing that her NEWTs had been outstanding but she had done nothing more than the Ministry drudge job Bilius had allowed. Severus did want her helping him in their business, but if there was something more she wanted to pursue, he wanted to support it. Hermione was a bit at a loss since she felt the dreams she once had were supplanted by life, a terrible marriage, Rose, and then Hugo. He had assured her that if ever she wanted something else in their life, he would fully support her… and Hermione had kissed him within an inch of his life!

Hermione had then asked about his childhood, and if there were any good memories of his time as a child. He related to her small incidents with both parents when he himself had been very small. He admitted that things began to erode for him when his magic manifested and his father was laid off from the factory.

"The two were so entwined in my mind," he spoke hauntingly, "that to this day I cannot say with any assurity that one or the other is what set my father down a path of drinking and abuse." He sighed heavily and rolled onto his back. "Both were equally bad in my father's eyes."

Hermione had quietly asked the one question that bothered her even though she was sure she knew the answer. "You don't mind that Rose is a Squib?"

Severus lifted himself onto his side, supporting himself with his arm crooked at the elbow and his palm cradling his head. He smiled. "You do know that a Squib is not completely without magic, do you not, my love?"

"I know they can have a touch, but I thought that was random," she admitted.

"That is what so many purebloods thought of their Squib children. It is wrong. Squibs are not referred to as Muggles because they are touched by the magic. Their talents are often small, even obscure, but it _is_ there. This is why our medicines and Healing spells work as well upon them as they do on we who have our full powers."

"Argus Filch," Hermione gasped softly. "Mrs. Norris was his familiar! And, Muggles can't have familiars?"

"A relationship with a familiar is one a Muggle can never have because they do not have magic," Severus enlightened.

Hermione was elated. Knowing that Rose might have even a smidgen of magic was a wonderful thing they could all only hope to discover together.

* * *

Before Hermione left Spinner's End to pick up Rose for their shopping, Severus had insisted on giving Hermione a small sack of gold that he had stashed away at home _'__for a rainy day'_ as he explained. He wanted her and Rose to buy clothes and robes along with other necessities and perhaps some small toys and art supplies to keep Rose entertained. At first Hermione felt embarrassed and humiliated. She knew Severus was rapidly losing money because they had barely started their business, and now she and Rose were just adding to that burden. Still, she knew that they needed clothes desperately, after losing everything in the fire. After her divorce from Ron, she had practically nothing, since they never had a chance to save anything. Ron had spent most of their savings on his whores and rounds of excessive drinking with his Quidditch buddies, and what little she had managed to save, was spent on a down payment for her small house. Unfortunately, she would not get any money from the insurance on the house until after Ron's trial, and then only _if_ he was proven guilty. It was just the way things worked in the wizarding world.

_Without Severus, she and Rose would be destitute, and she knew it. Even Molly and Harry could not save them forever. Ron had completely destroyed their lives, but Severus was that spring crocus in the snow and for her, it was now a new beginning._

Severus had been adamant on paying for everything insisting that it was part of his responsibility to provide for his family. Though her heart had melted at his statement, she countered that it was her family too, and she was doing nothing thus far to contribute. At this point, he had pressed the money into her palm, lifted her chin to meet his eyes and asked what the price on one's family was.

_She knew he had her with that statement._

Seeing the embarrassment in her face however, he had relented and informed her that their trip to Vienna would keep her busy and contributing to earning some money for the business and the family. It would also be a little family holiday where they could all spend some time together before the stress of Ron's trial would consume them.

_**End of Part II Together**_

_**A/N: Together was originally one post by Master Severus Snape my writing partner. I broke it into two parts and changed what it was from the original, using my writing partners writing where necessary. I hope that everyone enjoys it.**_


	34. Chp 34 Shopping, Explanations,Floobish

**_Meanwhile: At Grimmauld Place_**

The banana pancakes were exceptionally good, and after very quietly asking Luna for the recipe, Lucius went home to give his kitchen elf the recipe for the pancakes. He planned to have those every weekend!

Luna and Harry were cleaning up in the kitchen while the children were in the living room playing with one of their board games. Rose was sitting on the floor, with the Potter twins, Severus and Remus, a board between them with pieces on it, that moved, and cards that dictated turns, or insulted the players.

"Rosie," said Remus softly, "it's your turn."

"'kay," she said and picked up a card from the centre pile.

"You're an ugly dragonette!" the card shouted, "back three steps!"

With shock Rose dropped the card. Remus' eyes went wide as he saw the girl's lower lip begin to tremble.

Severus snatched up the card and scowled at it. "That's just mean and stupid! You can move ahead, Rosie. It's all right with us."

She sniffled. "Professor Snape hugged me… why was he mean to me?" she asked the twins.

Remus pushed aside the board game and leaned against the little girl. "Awww, Rosie, Uncle Severus really didn't mean it."

"Yes he did," she muttered firmly with another sniffle.

"Oh yuck! Don't make bogies, Rosie," Severus, the more fastidious of the twins took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her. "Uncle Severus was just confused is all."

Rosie blew her nose, then looked up at the dark haired twin. "Bout what? I don't understand, Sevvy. He hugged me an' it was a good hug but then he pushed me away like… like…" she stared at the upended board. "Like an ugly dragonette!"

Severus draped his arm over the small girl. "You're not ugly and don't call me Sevvy," he said gently.

"But what's Professor Snape confused about?" Rose asked.

Remus leaned further into the little circle they had made. "I overheard dad talking to mum and he said Uncle Severus went into your dad's…"

"He's not my dad!" she corrected shortly.

"Uh, yeah," agreed Remus. "Anyway, Uncle Severus has this magic he can do called Legilmans…"

"Legilimens, Remus," corrected Severus.

"Yeah, that thing." Remus gave his brother a short scowl for interrupting him.

"What's that got to do with why he was mean?" asked Rose, curious despite her hurt.

Severus chimed in smoothly, "He can tell you're lying with it!"

"And, if you're up to something," added Remus. Both boys had obviously had this special magic of their godfather's catch them in various mischief.

"But it's more than that, Rosie," said Severus more seriously. "I bet he went into you're… uhm… _not_-dad's head and stirred up all his bad memories."

Rose frowned. "I don't understand, though why Professor Snape got mad at _me_."

Remus sighed. "I don't think he was, Rosie. See, my dad said your… uhm _not_-dad… had a lot of bad memories and when Uncle Severus used his Legilmans it shook up all those bad memories." He mimed the effect with his head shaking and his hands flopping all around his head. When he stopped his gaze was a little hazy with dizziness. He grinned sideways. "Some of those memories are in Uncle Severus' head."

Severus scowled as he contemplated his brother. "You think Uncle Severus has someone else's memories in his head?"

Remus nodded gingerly. His head was still swimming a bit with his antics. "That's what dad told mum."

"He hurt mummy and me," Rose whispered fearfully. "My da... uhm... not-daddy never liked me so if Professor Snape has his memories maybe he hates me because I'm a Squib, and stupid about magic and I don't like Quidditch and…" Rose burst into tears.

Severus glared angrily at his brother while he pulled Rose against his side. "You shouldn't have told her that, you dunderhead!" He hissed, "And, it's Le-gil-i-mens, not Legilmans. Spango-head."

"Doesn't matter!" Remus shot back hotly. "Uncle Severus' brain is all messed up now because he used his magic on her not-daddy and Rosie's da... not-dad is a really bad man!"

Rose nodded, and sniffled. "Yeah."

* * *

_Severus kissed me_… _he touched me_…_he_… _oh!_ Hermione blushed. Love. Her mind savoured the word like a fine wine. _He loves me and we made love._ For a moment she felt like spinning the way Luna did.

The Floo trip to Grimmauld Place (which was thankfully not Loo Floo!) had been a whirlwind and for a moment as the green flames spat her out onto the hearth, she was a little disoriented.

"Hermione?" Harry's hands steadied her. "Are you drunk?" he whispered incredulously.

The witch stopped swaying abruptly and scowled at her friend. "No, Harry, I am not drunk." _Drunk on Severus_, her mind supplied with one of those annoying, girlish giggles.

"Hermione's in love, Boo!" giggled Luna as she kissed her husband's cheek and touched Hermione's cheek with her fingertips. A chorus of 'yucks' chimed in behind Luna.

"What's yuck?" piped up Rose.

All three children were sitting on the sofa. Remus and Severus were on either side of Rose who had a book on her lap. Remus leaned over and whispered, loud enough for the adults to hear, "Your mum's sweet on our godfather, Rose."

"Yeah," added Severus, "she kissed him!"

Rose glared at Severus who was smirking mischievously. "She did not! You hate him, don't you Mummy?" Rose glared at her mother and silently dared the woman to contradict her.

"Is everything all right, Hermione?" asked Harry. "Is Severus all right?"

"Who cares?" snapped Rose.

"Rosie!" Hermione snapped right back. Rose's clear annoyance with the Potions Master broke the last of her daze. Hermione glared darkly at her child letting her know that if she said anything else negative, she would be in trouble. Rose's answer was to cross her arms over her chest and pout angrily.

Severus took the book from his new friend's lap, gingerly. He then closed it. Remus just glanced at Rose warily. He understood that the girl was upset with his godfather, he just wished she wasn't because he thought his godfather was _all kinds of terrific and neat and good, and stuff_.

Hermione motioned for Harry to follow her out of the living room and into the short hallway that connected the rest of the house together. Automatically she looked for the portrait of old Mrs. Black just at the entrance to the stairs but it was not there.

"Severus found a way to unstick Mrs. Black's portrait a few years ago," Harry informed Hermione. "She would say some of the most awful things to the boys." Harry shook his head, then asked, "How is Severus?"

Hermione smiled, a bit too brilliantly. Harry smiled back knowingly and Hermione blushed. "He's fine, Harry. He stayed back at Spinner's End so that he could remove most of Ron's memories to store in his pensieve." Harry nodded as he recalled the pensieve from his youth and some rather disastrous Occlumency lessons.

"I was telling Luna last night that Ron's memory would mess him up for awhile. I'm glad he's dealing with them by putting them in the pensieve." Harry then reached for Hermione's hand and squeezed. "I'm so sorry, 'Mione."

Genuinely puzzled she asked, "For what?"

"For Bili… Ron. For… well… abandoning you. I should have known." He was surprised when Hermione drew him into a tight hug. He sniffled, then put his arms around his old friend.

The witch pulled back slightly, holding her friend by his upper arms. "Harry, I'll tell you what I told Severus: there was no way for you _to_ know. My Glamours were top notch and did you ever think Ron was capable of all that he did?"

Harry shook his head and sighed sadly. "Not when we were kids, 'Mione. He did change after the war, though. You know he was very jealous of me… well, not _me_, but the fame and all that."

Hermione nodded. She had witnessed quite a few arguments the two heroes had had back in those days. "I remember Ron getting very upset with you when you broke things off with Ginny," Hermione smiled bitter-sweetly.

Harry chuckled and rubbed his nose. It was no longer perfectly straight but had a slight bump in it from having been broken and poorly set. "Well, I wanted to be in love, but kissing Ginny was too much like kissing a…" he coughed fakely.

Hermione laughed, "A wet fish?"

"Yeah. I was thinking then that maybe I ought to start looking at boys since my track record with kissing girls was so bad." He blushed as he smirked.

Hermione teased, "Neville was always a great dancer, Harry. I bet he could kiss well, too!"

"Augh! Noooooo!" Together they both laughed and then Harry hugged his best friend. "You and Severus, 'Mione," he began softly. "You both be good to each other."

Hermione smiled fondly at her friend. _Best friend._ It felt so good to have Harry back in her life. She had not realised that she missed him all this time, but deep down she had. It felt like a part of her soul had healed. With contentment filling her heart, and the touch of Severus burning ever so pleasantly, still, she turned to face her daughter.

"Come along, Rose."

"I don't wanna go!" she pouted. Her arms were still crossed over her chest stubbornly.

"What is the matter with you, young lady?" demanded Hermione as she was beginning to lose patience with her child.

"You go live with Professor Snape, Mum, I'm staying here!"

Hermione strode swiftly over to her daughter, grasped her by the upper arms, and lifted her off the sofa. Rose yelped as she was lifted into the air and then put down on her feet on the floor. She squawked with indignity as her mother's hand smacked her backside once lightly.

"Say thank you and goodbye, Rose," ordered her mother.

Rose glanced up at her mother and noted the thunder in her features. The storm brewing there did not look promising. She turned and very softly said thank you to Luna and Harry for their hospitality, and then waved mournfully at the twins.

They both waved swiftly but Remus slid off the sofa and gave the little girl a quick hug. "My godfather's a good man, Rosie. Give him a chance, will you?"

Rose nodded, then turned away. When Hermione put out her hand towards her daughter, the girl took it. "Thank you, Luna, Harry. We'll visit again, soon."

Luna held the container of Floo powder towards Hermione. "I know we will. Give our love to Severus, will you?"

Hermione nodded and blushed shyly. "I will." Taking a handful of the glittering black powder she threw it into the flames and called out, "The Leaky Cauldron!"

* * *

Rose looked around at the smattering of patrons at the old, somewhat dusty tavern, The Leaky Cauldron. "Mum?"

Hermione tugged gently on her daughter's hand to nudge her out the doors that led into Diagon Alley.

"Where's Professor Snape?" asked the little girl as she followed her mother.

"I thought you didn't want to see him, Rose," replied Hermione shrewdly.

"I thought we were going to his house," said Rose as her eyes were distracted by the Eyelops Owl Emporium. Next to it was a store that sold krups and kneazles and she couldn't help but drag her mother, who still held her hand, over to the display window so she could watch several kneazle kits playing.

"We need clothing, miss," said Hermione as she briskly tugged her daughter away from the kneazles. Crookshanks had gone missing a year after her marriage to Ron. He had never come back. Knowing Ron as she did now she did not dare to think that Ron could have had something to do with the disappearance of her old cat. Even after it was discovered that Peter Pettigrew had been Ron's rat he had never forgiven Crookshanks for hurting his rat.

"Can I get some black robes like Severus Potter has?" asked Rose. She began swinging her arms and since she was linked to her mother on her right side Hermione's arm swung with her daughter's.

Hermione smirked. "No, Rose. You don't need black robes but if you'd like I could mention to Severus that someday you would like some."

"I guess." As the two walked down the street to Twilfit & Tattingers they were quiet. After passing three shops Rose piped up, "You like Professor Snape, don't you, mummy?"

"I do," Hermione replied, a hint of wariness in her voice.

"I hugged him today and he hugged me, but then he pushed me away and I was so sure he din't like me anymore but Remus told me that Professor Snape was…" she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers to mimic what she thought had happened. The odd gesture was not entirely clear to Hermione.

"Errr…?" She wiggled the fingers of her free hand towards her daughter in question.

"He stirred da… uhm… not-dad's mind with this Lejamens magic of his and that made da… uh…" Rose glowered. She kept tripping over what to call her ex-father.

"Call him, Ron, sweetheart," Hermione instructed gently.

"Yeah, well Professor Snape has uhm-Ron's memories of him hurting us and that made Professor Snape confused." Her lips thinned. "I _guess_ it's not his fault but… _Still_! He got mad at me and made me think he din't like me so I'm gonna be mad at him."

Hermione drew in a hopeful breath. "Do you think you might forgive him sometime soon, Rosie? Severus only wanted to protect us but he really was confused and didn't know what he was doing."

Rose was quiet for a long moment as they kept walking. Finally she replied, "I'll forgive him but he better do something extra nice for me because I made him a drawing and he asked me to paint something for him."

"That sounds fair, Rose. Thank you." Hermione beamed at her daughter. In that moment they reached Twilfit & Tattingers. Once in the store she let go of Rose's hand and they both spent a bit of time looking at all the clothing available.

Hermione found several blouses and skirts that were functional, but as usual had very little style. Ron had often complained about the inappropriate and expensive clothing she wore just after they were married. It wasn't long before she had adopted simple long skirts (Ron had slapped her once for wearing trousers to work) and plain, white blouses.

"Oh dearie! No! You're far too young for that!" To her surprise all the clothing she had selected was levitated from her arms and was returning itself to the racks.

"I'm 33," snapped Hermione trying to catch one of the blouses as it sailed over her head. She turned to glower at a stocky but plump man with too curly blonde hair, over-magicked white teeth, and canary yellow robes. "Professor Lockhart?!"

Gilderoy Lockhart, who had scrambled his own memory when his Obliviate spell had backfired on him during the time in school that Harry and Ron had gone to go rescue Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, smiled winsomely at his customer.

"You know me? Have you ever read any of my books?" he asked unctuously.

"Uhm… one or two?" She was _not_ going to admit that she had read every single one of his books when she had heard he was going to teach at Hogwarts. She would _not_ admit to wanting his autograph on all of them, and that she'd had one of his photos in a frame with hearts all over it that she had kept under her pillow in her dorm.

Gilderoy's face saddened in sympathy and he patted her upper arm. "I'm so sorry, then. Those first books were terribly dreadful. I was _such_ a charlatan!"

"I heard you were in St. Mungo's," said Hermione slowly. _Those robes are worthy of Albus Dumbledore in his day_, she grimaced to herself. "An accident of some sort?"

Gilderoy smiled deprecatingly and chuckled, "Backfired spell, but it's all sorted out now. I feel _ever_ so much better!"

"And, you're working in a clothing store," mused Hermione.

Gilderoy smirked, "_Girl_, I own it! I just haven't got round to renaming the place." He then leaned closer to her and Hermione was glad that his breath smelled of mint leaves. "Now, enough about me, we need to get you sorted out, young lady, because I am _not_ letting you leave my store looking like some high-born witch's scullery maid!"

For the next hour Hermione had clothes spelled onto her and off and Gilderoy picked out skirts, blouses, several sets of robes, two tea gowns, a scandalous dress of green velvet that hugged every "baby curve" obscenely – **"****a witch ought to be proud of her baby curves," cooed Lockhart, "after all children are our future!"** — a pair of trousers for "working in the garden", and finally a pair for "walking along the boulevard" (wherever one was).

When it came time for knickers and bras, Hermione really thought she would handle those herself, but Gilderoy, who could not take a hint if a Bludger were behind it, began tossing things of lace, and silk, and satin at her in all the colours of the rainbow. Hermione supplied the crimson since she was under a perpetual blush.

She would admit, later, that Gilderoy had selected some wonderful under garments that she knew a certain Potions Master would appreciate, including a peignoir set in delicately spun, whispery silk the colour of cream.

Hermione finally had a moment to breathe, and to contemplate prices, when Rose interrupted and tugged on Gilderoy's yellow cape. "I want to look pretty, too!"

Gilderoy beamed at the child and took her by the hand. "And so you shall! Have you ever worn dresses with pinafores?" Rose shook her head. "Well, you would look fabu-_LOUS_ in the latest pieces from France!"

Hearing the word "_France_" Hermione let out an aggrieved yelp, and stared at the bag of galleons Severus had given her. Maybe she should have counted them first before starting to shop?

As Hermione had expected, the gold was a modest amount and if she put aside enough for lunch and a pastry for herself and Rose, there was not enough to pay for everything that Gilderoy Lockhart had pulled off his racks for the both of them. For one, that peignoir set would have to go! It alone would take up more than half of what Severus had given her, and the green velvet dress would eat up the rest.

"Gilderoy, all of this is lovely," Hermione said sadly looking at all the silks and wools and cottons and all of the beautiful colours. "I just can't afford all of it. I-I…"

Suddenly, the effusive wizard's demeanour changed. His bubbly personality and forgetfulness of her was gone. He gently clasped Hermione's hand in his as he gave her a soft smile, and a serious look. "Miss Granger," he said solemnly, and in that moment she blushed knowing that he did indeed remember her as a student. "I did read of your most recent misfortune, but that did not decide me. As scrambled as my memory was I _do_ remember you from Hogwarts and I also remember the young lady that came to read to me every Saturday for three years. I recovered only because someone, _you_, cared that I existed at all. I still have every lovely gift you gave me including a pair of hand knit, large and colourful socks to keep my feet warm." His smile brightened as he looked at all the clothing. "If it makes you feel more comfortable about accepting my gift then you may give me half of what's in your purse, but please do accept the rest as my thanks for everything you did for me." He then bowed gallantly and kissed the back of her hand.

Rose giggled softly, "He's nice, Mummy." Giving the little girl a nod and a wink, he bowed to her.

"Yes. He is," whispered Hermione. Glancing again at all the clothing that Gilderoy was now fussing over and folding and packing in bags or boxes, she thought she really ought to decline the offer, but how could she refuse such sincere gratitude?

As they were leaving Twilfit & Tattingers clothing shop Hermione wished she had not lost her marvellous beaded bag that had seemingly infinite space within. Even shrunk the boxes and bags that she and Rose carried were a chore to do so. Every few steps if Hermione did not drop a bag Rose would drop a box.

"Argh! That's enough!" Hermione peered down at her daughter from the armful of shopping she carried. "Sweetheart, hang onto mummy. We're making a quick stop back home. Once we're there, you stay on the pavement and don't move. Understand?"

"Yes, Mummy." Rose adjusted a bag that was threatening to slip from her arms.

Moments later Hermione had Side-Apparated to the pavement just at the low front gate to Severus' house. Making her old long skirt into a make-shift bag she had Rose dump everything she held on top of what Hermione had. The witch then half wobbled and half jogged up to the front door, waved her wand to allow the secondary wards to admit her to the house just as Severus had shown her. She then pushed her way inside and went to the sitting room.

Wearing a thin pair of silver-rimmed reading glasses Severus stood by the window reading something about potions. He had done away with most of Bilius' memories by storing them in his pensieve. Severus had wanted to destroy them, but they would be needed in the wizard's trial. For now, the Potions Master, finally relieved of Blius' burden, sat in his sitting room reading. He was in the middle of some research while Hermione and her daughter shopped. Disturbed by the lowering of his wards and a sudden, odd huffing, waddling noise, he put down his book, and looked towards the entryway. He was surprised to see Hermione. Her skirt was bunched up to her knees and it was stuffed with packages.

"Hermione?" he inquired glancing over the tops of the reading glass lenses. "What the…?"

"Sorry, Severus, but our shopping got just a little bit out of hand." She dropped the hem of the skirt and everything, shrunken boxes and bags tumbled to the floor. Severus viewed the purchases with a sinking heart as he wondered how in the world she had paid for all of this. The gold he had given Hermione surely did not cover all of it, did it?

Stepping gingerly over the packages Hermione reached Severus, stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. She babbled rapidly, "Would you mind terribly just putting it all in my room, please? It's just Rose is on the pavement and I told her I'd be only a minute… oh and thank you, dear!" With another kiss to his cheek Hermione turned and ran back outside to where Rose waited.

Severus glared at all the bags, boxes, bows, and glittering, coloured string. "Your room is my room… _dear," _he growled.

* * *

Not a little bit more than an hour later Hermione burst into the living room again, much as she had appeared before, and dropped more packages on the floor.

Severus was sitting in his favourite chair reading _Ars Alchemica_ when a very breathless, smiling witch stumbled over to him, and kissed his cheek.

Before he could say anything she was rapidly explaining, "Luna wrote an article about the fire, with background… and oh dear! I'm so glad she's not Rita Skeeter, but after Twilfit's we went to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium to get Rose some paints and ink and paper, and Mr. Magorium had read the article and well…" she waved her hands over the packages.

"Are these all art supplies, Hermione?" asked Severus with trepidation.

"Oh no! You see, Flourish & Blotts gave us books, and did you know that Gilderoy Lockhart not only owns a clothing shop but he writes childrens stories? They're quite good and…"

"Gave?" Severus scowled and raised his voice a little to stop the woman before she continued her train wreck of an explanation. "Are you telling me all of this… these… everyone _gave_ these to you?"

Hermione nodded, then shook her head. She frowned. "Well, sort of. I did pay some galleons, but that was really just a token, and…"

"Mummy!" I'm hungry!" Rose wandered in from the porch to the living room. Severus noted that she was rumpled, cranky, and resembled a war veteran in her stance and appearance.

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth and threw a glance towards her bedraggled daughter. "Oh no! I promised you lunch a half hour ago." She then turned to the Potions Master. "Severus, please, just stuff these someplace. I _have_ to take care of Rose." Hermione leaned down, pecked his cheek, again, and he watched, fuming slightly, as she ran past her daughter and out of the house once again.

Severus was uncomfortably aware that the child was staring at him. "Ro… Miss Granger?" he inquired stiffly.

"It's _Rose_," she corrected as she scowled at him. "I'm still mad at you."

"Ah…" Severus was saved from having to say anything else as an arm darted toward the girl and tugged her out of the sitting room and out of the house. He sighed heavily, removed his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

_What am I to do?_

* * *

That evening when the two exhausted ladies had returned home and while Rose took a bath Hermione explained to Severus what had happened. Nearly everyone in Diagon Alley had read Luna's article about the fire. It had apparently been a very heart-rending and influential article because nearly every place they had gone to shop at gifts were made to them by the shop owners. Hermione tried to insist on paying and taking only what she needed but once a token payment was made the extra items were given to her and she couldn't, _she just couldn't_, say no and hurt anyone's feelings, could she? With that she took from her pocket a silver certificate and gave it to Severus. He took it suspiciously.

"What is this?" he examined the ornate silver foil certificate with flourishes on the corners and edges.

"That's from Blancmange Grocer's in your name. Mr. Pennywhistle said that since you're being so generous about taking us in that this would help supplement the extra groceries. It's for 100 galleons." Hermione looked up at him worriedly. Severus looked like he might refuse it.

"No. I am certainly capable of supporting you and Rose myself. Take it back." He tried to hand the certificate to Hermione.

She glared. "No, Severus. Not only was this a very nice gesture from Mr. Pennywhistle but we need this. Our finances are stretched thin and we need to keep close account on everything until our business gets off the ground. Speaking of which…" Hermione swallowed and hesitated in reaching into her new beaded bag from Madame Malkin's to get the last gift of the day.

"Speaking of what?" asked Severus with caution.

Finally she took out a small scroll sealed with silver wax. "Arsenius asked me to give this to you." Severus started to snatch the scroll from her with a growl but she lifted it away from him. "It's not a gift, Severus!" Quickly she broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. She then held it out to him. "I know you have an account at Slug & Jiggers. You're one of the only customers of his that does. Arsenius would like you to brew the potions he listed here monthly so he can have them on hand for his regular customers as needed. In exchange, he will supply us with the ingredients needed for his brews as well as our own. He honestly would prefer this more than gold, Severus, as he was complaining about the fact that it is very hard to find a decent Potions Master to handle such difficult brews, and he simply does not have the time. Before you turn him down, Severus, think about this carefully. This is not charity. Arsenius really does need the help, and in the end, we can all benefit from this. He is willing to give us a percentage of the profits from any brew you make for him." She watched Severus adjust his glasses to better read the scroll, and Hermione realised just how handsome he was with the antique frames perched on his nose.

_Merlin, she was terribly smitten! _

His face still had its usual frown to it, but Hermione was learning to read those dark eyes and could see that as usual, they betrayed his expression.

_He was interested. _

Reading the terms of the account Severus allowed himself to smile just slightly. Brewing in exchange for supplies would not be that bad of an idea, and it would give him a chance to teach Hermione the more complex potions they would be needing for their research.

"Mummy?" the little girl, now in a new nightgown of cozy blue flannel, and wearing yellow bunny slippers, came padding down the stairs. Babbity flopped lazily from the hand she held him in. The child stopped at the entrance to the sitting room and glanced at her mother; Hermione and the Potions Master were seated together on the sofa. Her eyes stayed upon him and in those limpid pools of blue was a wariness that distressed Severus.

_However, he would not show it._

"I suppose you are hoping for a bedtime story?" he asked in the tone of voice all of his students over the years at Hogwarts had dreaded to hear when being asked a question.

Rose, not at all cowed by the tone, simply nodded to him.

Severus searched quickly for something, anything to say. He had hoped to talk to her when she and Hermione had come home just an hour ago but Rose had escaped by running past him and up the stairs to her room.

Then it came to him. "There will be no bedtime story, young lady, until you have greeted me properly. You ignored me completely when you and your mother arrived home and that is considered rude."

Cautiously Rose took a few steps into the sitting room until she was able to stand against the arm of his Chesterfield sofa. Turning slightly she was able to look at him sitting next to her mother. Severus stiffened as he expected a tantrum of sorts. He nearly deflated when she asked, rather shyly, "Do you hate me?"

The stoniness of his features that were always such an impeccably cold mask crumpled. He blurted, "No… I… no, I do not, child. I was…" He found words suddenly failed him. How was he to explain precisely what had happened to him to a seven year old child?

Rose wadded up a handful of her nightgown as she stared down at her slippers. "S'ok. Remus and Severus s'plained to me that it was Lejamens and that your brain got all floobish with Ron's memories making you mean, but they said you really aren't mean and to give you a chance because the Lejamens was…" she waved her hands about her head to aid in what she was trying to say. "It wa... floobish!" she finally huffed, looking up, her glare challenging him to tell her that she was wrong.

Severus turned to Hermione and asked very softly, "Floobish?"

Hermione leaned against Severus shoulder and whispered back, "It's the word she made up to describe things she doesn't know the word or words to." The lovely witch gently nudged his shoulder with her own. "Go on. Say something."

Rose was waiting. Her demeanour was a little more firm, but he could tell that her body was tensed to run away if needed.

Severus had faced many difficult situations in his fifty two years. He was a spy for both sides during two wars, a feared Professor and Headmaster and even a former Death Eater. Nobody could break through his mask or shatter his walls, yet here he was crumbling in front of a seven year old slip of a girl.

Being godfather to Harry's twins gave him some experience with children her age, but certainly not with girls who seemed to be much more emotional than both the twins combined. Still, Rose was a highly intuitive girl, and molly-coddling her as he knew her mother tended to do at times, was not the answer nor Severus' way. If Rose was going to accept him in her life as an eventual parental type figure, she would have to learn to understand him, flaws and all.

Even so, Severus tried very hard to keep his usual mask of indifference off. If he wanted to reach her, he would have to make some small changes as well. Meeting her hesitant eyes, he gave her a brief nod of his head in agreement.

"Indeed Mi- Rose, the twins are in fact correct. _Legilimens_ is used for a variety of different reasons, none of which is pertinent for you to understand at this moment. All I will say is that when I used this on _Bilius_, I did so in order to try and view his memories so I could better understand what you and your mother went through," Severus said, a tinge of anger in his voice. He was not going to tell her that he had also used it as punishment on Bilius to make him relive everything he had done to his wife and daughter. Severus closed his eyes for a moment as a brief ghosting of a memory sliced through his mind-

_- Rose crying as she ran into her parents room after a nightmare. Ron had been furious because she had interrupted them during an intimate moment. He had the grabbed the Squib and dragged her back to her room threatening to throw out her art supplies if she bothered them again. She was five years of age and old enough to take care of herself. He left her crying in her room and-_

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as the memory passed. Even though the emotion of that memory was not as severe as before he had stored Bilius' memories in his pensieve, it was still there with all of the others. Only now, they were easier to deal with, and in time, he would have them purged from his own memories.

"Severus?" Hermione asked concern etched in her voice. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and without even thinking he reached up and laid his own hand over hers, squeezing it briefly to let her know he was fine, before lowering it back to his lap.

Rose watched the whole scene with a curious look on her face, but chose to say nothing as she waited for the Professor to speak.

"Tell me Rose," Severus said much softer than he had ever spoken to her before. "Have you ever had a nightmare or bad dream?

Rose's eyes grew wide, as she nodded. She didn't want to tell him about her bad dreams, at least not yet.

"Have you ever wakened to find that you were not quite sure if you were really awake because the dream was so real and frightening?"

Again Rose simply nodded, but she drew Babbity close to her chest and chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes never leaving the Professor's.

"You see, Rose, many of Bilius' memories were trapped in my head, almost like a bad dream. Even though I was awake, I could see and feel things that he had experienced. Sometimes I was not sure if it was real or a dream, and I did not know what to do. When you came to me earlier, I pushed you away, because I was not sure what was real or not, and I did not want to hurt you or your mother until I could figure out how to wake up, so to speak," Severus said with a wave of his hand.

Rose now felt bad for Professor Snape. Remus and Severus were right. Bad dreams _were_ scary and she remembered having lots of them especially when Ron was home. He always got mad at her and mummy when she would go to their room because she was scared, so eventually she learned to stop going and would talk to Babbity instead. She wondered if Professor Snape had a Babbity he could go to….

"Rose?"

Professor Snape's voice broke through her thoughts and she looked up to see his solemn face looking down at hers as he leaned forward. He could feel Hermione's hand as a reassuring presence upon his back.

"I will understand if you choose not to forgive me right away, but I hope you can accept my apology for hurting you earlier. If I could do anything to spare you or your mother pain I would. I hope one day you will believe me."

Rose nodded and looked back down at her bunny slippers. She wasn't mad anymore, but she still wasn't sure how to tell that to the Professor. She'd have to talk to Babbity and think about it.

Hermione seeing Rose's face knew the little girl had heard enough and was getting overwhelmed. "Alright sweetheart, I think it's story time."

**_A/N: I have to do some re-writing on the next two chapters coming up so if I missed something (plot gap) or you have a question about something in the story, let me know. If I can fix it in the coming chapters, I will._**

**_Author: etherian with Master Severus Snape_**


	35. Chapter 35 A Bedtime Story

**_A Bedtime Story_**

Rose was curled in her bed with Babbity cuddled in her arms. Elly, the Velveteen Rabbit had been delegated to the floor. Hermione looked sadly down upon the floppy rabbit and said nothing when Severus, silent as a ghost, slipped into the child's room and picked up the tossed toy.

"Mummy, will you tell me the story of Babbity?" Although she did not appear to notice the tall man in his black frock coat, the Potions Master knew that the perceptive girl was very aware of his quiet presence.

"Hmmm, that was when you were four years old, wasn't it?" Hermione gathered her daughter into her lap, and began to speak softly, "Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl with a strawberry curl," Hermione tugged gently at one curl by her child's cheek, "right in the middle of her forehead, and when she was bad… oh she was awfully bad…"

Rose piped in with a grin, "But when she was good she was very, very good, wasn't she mummy?"

"Nearly always, sweetheart." Hermione kissed Rose's forehead and Severus leaned quietly against the door jamb to listen to the story. He was unaware of Elly flopped over his crossed arms.

Hermione continued her story. "One day the beautiful little girl decided to go for a very, very long walk…"

Rose interrupted but her voice was hushed, "into the woods?"

"Oh yes," Hermione's voice dropped to a cautious hush. "Right through the willows of Neverland and into the deep and mysterious dark woods her mummy told her never to go into."

"Cuz she was a bad girl," sighed Rose as she shook her head.

Severus smirked. He knew very well that the story was about an adventure Rose herself had once had. _And_, she had obviously disobeyed her mother's edict.

"Terribly, sweetheart," sighed Hermione melodramatically. "However, the forest did not appear scary at all to the beautiful little girl; in fact she was enormously curious about it."

Rose clapped her hands once together. "She found a creek, mummy!"

"That she did! A beautiful creek of crystal clear water that tumbled and burbled over shiny pebbles just below its surface. The beautiful girl was very fascinated by shiny things and _ohhhhh_," trembled Hermione's voice warningly, "that little girl wanted those shiny pebbles."

"Cuz they were beautiful and they would look great with her collection!" declared Rose as she glanced at the shelf that was growing with everything she had already begun to collect.

"Very true, sweetheart," agreed Hermione. She glanced up as Severus shifted, not terribly imperceptibly, from one foot to the other. Her voice then dropped ominously. "Do you know what happened next, Rosie?"

Rose's little fists curled just under her mouth and her eyes widened with feigned fright. "Noooooo!"

Hermione pounced, grasping Rose about the waist. "She fell!" Rose squealed. "Right into the creek!"

"Oh no, mummy!" Rose gasped in a mock terrified whisper.

"She was so small, that beautiful little girl, that the burbling waters carried her over their sparkling stones… away… away… so far away…" Hermione held Rose with one hand and waved bye to the invisible beautiful little girl.

Severus was not aware of leaning slightly forward to better hear mother and daughter. He would never admit it, but he was caught by Hermione's storytelling voice.

"Was the beautiful little girl's mummy sad?" asked Rose mournfully.

Hermione forced her features into a caricature of sadness. "Yes, Rose, the beautiful little girl's mummy was soooo sad when she found out her baby had gone into the forest and disappeared."

"Her mummy was a witch, though, wasn't she, Mummy?" asked Rose as she smiled at her mother.

Hermione let out an exaggerated '_phew_'. "Thank goodness she was, Rose. The beautiful little girl's mum waved her wand…"

"Did sparkles come out of it?" asked Rose eagerly.

"Oh! Yes! Lots of sparkles!" agreed Hermione. "Red and green and blue and yellow just lots and lots of beautiful sparkles that told the mummy how to find her beautiful little girl."

Rose clasped her hands tightly together and her eyes were nearly owlish as she held her breath for the end of the story.

"What happened?" asked Severus, his quiet voice intruding as gently as possible. His impatience, though, could be heard by Hermione and she smirked.

"Yes, Mummy, tell the end!" begged Rose.

"Well," sighed Hermione sadly, "the beautiful little girl's mummy, with all of her wonderful magic, could not find her daughter, and she cried…" Hermione sniffled and wiped at a non-existent tear.

Rose patted her mother's cheek. Neither Granger female were aware that Severus had slipped further into Rose's bedroom and was now leaning against the heavy wardrobe.

Hermione smiled slowly. "But… that mummy didn't know that all was not lost."

"Yessss?" asked Rose in a hush.

"The beautiful little girl was still being carried down the creek but there was a_Babbity_sitting on a branch that hung over the creek."

"Ohhhhhh," sighed Rose and her eyes sparkled.

"Babbity was a very brave rabbit who had wonderful eyesight," continued Hermione. "Do you know why?"

Rose nodded swiftly and replied, "Babbity ate lots of carrots like his own mum fed him when he was a little rabbit an' carrots are really, really good for eyesight!"

"Yes!" cried Hermione happily and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Babbity had the best sight in the whole world and he could see the beautiful little girl bobbing along in the creek like a little fishing cork."

"Bob, bob," burbled Rose.

"And, Babbity was brave, too," Hermione let out an '_oooo_'. "When the beautiful little girl nearly went under his branch, Babbity reached right down, grabbed her hand, and plucked her right out of the creek."

"Oh!" Rose lifted Babbity and kissed his floppy head. She finished the tale by cooing to Babbity, "and then you told me to follow the creek right back home, Babbity, and before I knew it mummy was hugging me and kissing me and then…!" Rose frowned at her mother.

Hermione shrugged, "Well, Rose, you _did_go into the forest when I told you not to and didn't I almost lose my beautiful little girl in that awful creek? My magic couldn't find you, could it?"

Rose shook her head and pouted pathetically. "You spanked me, mummy!"

Hermione smiled and kissed Rose's cheeks. "I dried you off, made sure all your scratches and bruises were healed, and hugged and kissed you again, and again, and again."

"But, you spanked me!" insisted Rose.

"You never went to the forest again without me, did you?" reminded Hermione. She then smiled,"And didn't Babbity stay with you after that adventure?"

Rose sighed. "He did." She then quickly crawled off her mother's lap and scurried under her covers. Hermione tucked her daughter in and kissed her cheeks.

"Sleep well, my sweetheart," said Hermione as she then bent over and kissed both Babbity and her daughter.

Hermione then went towards the door and disappeared into the hallway. Severus was about to follow when the child called to him.

"Professor Snape?" asked Rose to detain him.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" he asked, stopping in the doorway and turning slightly to look at her.

A small growl came from between her gritted teeth, "I told you my name is Rose." Severus nodded his head and held his hand over his heart as a motion of apology. The little girl then continued, "Babbity's missing Elly, but I'm not ready for her to come back, yet. If you tell me a story, tomorrow night, about Elly, she can come back and everything'll be all right. Okay?"

Severus thought he should refuse the child's request, but he did not. He had felt a deep ache for what he had done to her and he had not known at all what to do to redeem himself. Apparently, as he agreed to the telling of a story the next night, a part of him knew just what to do.

Rose smiled as the tall man agreed to her terms. "G'night, Professor Snape! Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

"Goodnight… Rose," he returned quietly and closed the bedroom door. When he turned into the hallway Hermione was right behind him. She was barely concealing a smirk. He frowned darkly, and demanded, "I expect you to tell me, _Miss Granger_, precisely what a 'bedbug' is and why I should not let it 'bite'."

A giggle escaped Hermione's control and his glare darkened. "Make it an essay. Due tomorrow." With a huff and an elegant half-turn he strode down the hallway then down the stairs.

Hermione started to laugh, but then caught herself. "An essay?! But… Severus!" She ran after him. "That's not fair…! Se-Severus! Please!"

**Author: etherian**

_**A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! A new chapter will arrive after the New Year. Be good, be safe, and enjoy good food, friends, and family!**_


	36. Chapter 36 Reflection & Reparation

Severus lay in the warm arms of his lover while the rain beat a steady rhythm against the foggy windowpanes of their bedroom at Spinner's End. He absently picked up their laced hands and brushed his lips over her knuckles before pressing their entwined hands back against his heart. They had only been home from Grimmauld Place a few days and already _his_ home was _their_ home and _his_ room _their_ room. Were they moving too fast? Would she tire of him eventually if she found someone younger and more suited to her? Would there be room for him once she had rebuilt her own life now that she was free of Bilius for good?

He felt the witch in question stir softly from behind, and wrap one arm more securely around his waist and squeezed his clasped hand with hers as if to reassure him away from his deep seated insecurities, her legs entwining with his even further. The warm steady puffs of her breath on his back told him that Hermione was still very much asleep, and for once, he was grateful as he needed this time to think about all that had happened in the last year and a half.

There was no doubt he loved Hermione, of that he was sure. What he felt for her was far deeper than any love he had ever harboured for anyone, including Lily Evans. Now that he had something real to compare it to, he realised what he had felt for Lily was more obsession than actual love. It was an obsession borne out of a deep need to feel accepted and wanted, which was transferred to the first person other than his mother to offer him kindness and friendship.

In his youth, Lily's friendship had been like a rope that he had clung to in shark infested waters, but over the years those feelings for her had changed into something more than she could ever give him. For many years he had blamed himself for the initial destruction of their friendship, but time as well as a woman who actually reciprocated his feelings, and unbelievably her own son, had made him realise that his one time friend was far shallower than he had perceived her to be. She could have forgiven him, or at least given him the chance to explain why he had used such terrible words against her. She knew what his home life had been like as well as the bullying he had been receiving on a daily basis from those not in his own house. No, he was not an innocent in all of it and he gave as well as he got, but more times than not, he was usually on the receiving end of things. Poppy Pomfrey's meticulous files alone could attest to that. Still Lily had rarely if ever stopped to defend or help him when things happened. In fact, she usually blamed him for many of the occurrences, inciting either his anger or those he associated with in his own house, whether it had been his fault or not. If Hermione had been in Lily's place, he knew she would have hexed anyone to the ground who would have dared to try and hurt one of her friends, all house politics aside.

_Hermione would also have sought for a further explanation into things, inquisitive witch that she was, and not immediately assumed he was to blame for everything because of his disposition or the fact he was a Slytherin._

Hermione was nothing like Lily, and for that, he loved her even more, but would his love be enough for her over the passage of time?

They had known each other for almost twenty years before becoming romantically involved. Seven of those years had been as student and Professor as well as allies during the war. Afterward, as Hermione withdrew into her marriage with Bilius, Severus had begun to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and rebuild it. With the persistence of Harry and his family, as well as Lucius, Arsenius and a few others, he was able to savour the full taste of freedom for the first time in his life. After resigning his post at Hogwarts two years ago, Severus knew he was finally the master of his own destiny, and embraced it wholeheartedly. Though he had seen Hermione on occasion over the years, usually at Ministry functions or potions symposiums if the Ministry sent her, he had heard little from her as she seemed to pull away from everyone's life, including Harry's.

_Now, of course, he knew why._

Unexpectedly over a year and a half ago she had started a correspondence with him seeking help for a potions project she had been working on at the Ministry. At first it had been all work related, but surprisingly when the project ended, their mutual correspondence not only continued but flourished.

The result had been an awakening experience for Severus as he began to know Hermione not as a former student, but as a highly intelligent woman in her own right. For all the roles he had assumed in his life, he had long put aside the one that counted the most; the fact that he was a man who actually possessed feelings and had needs and desires like any man has. They had just been suppressed for so long; he thought that part of him had died with Lily.

_He was wrong._

As their correspondence grew to include personal visits and interactions, he knew their growing attraction was mutual, no matter how hard he tried to deny it and push it away as idiotic nonsense. They had been dancing around each other for so long, when reality finally struck him, he almost didn't recognise it until it was too late. Thankfully, his years of self healing had also changed him enough to push aside his terror of being rejected, in order to take a risk and let Hermione in. Unfortunately in doing so, he had also weakened himself to the point where he knew that if he ever lost Hermione or her daughter, it would kill him. Such was the flip side of the coin.

The truth of the matter was, he was completely at her mercy, and he knew it. When he had given her his heart, he had surrendered his soul as well. When he loved someone, he did it completely and forever, and it terrified him. If she ever grew tired of him, or wanted him gone from her or Rose's life, it would completely destroy him, though he would never tell her that which was now his biggest fear.

Severus turned in Hermione's arms, and pulled her warm body more tightly against his lean frame. She gave a soft and contented sigh as she buried her head against his chest. He drew the thick velvet duvets more securely around them, still in awe of how perfectly their bodies fit together and the feeling of rightness that surrounded them. There was no more sense in fighting it or thinking about the past. He was hers, and in return, she belonged _only _to him. He had other more pressing issues to consider such as Bilius' upcoming trial, their trip to Vienna, and most urgently, this ridiculous _bedtime story_ he had to tell Mi…_Rose_ in order to get back into her favour, and it was something he was absolutely dreading.

_He simply did not tell bedtime stories._

He would seek help for the latter part in the morning, and he knew exactly where to go.

Burying his face in his lover's mass of soft umber curls, his long ebony locks twined with her own and formed a beautiful palette on their pillow as he surrendered himself and his heart into her hands. He let himself be pulled into sleep against the lulls of her soft breathing and the gentle rhythm of the rain against their window.

Severus awoke as usual before anyone else in his new household. Decades of a strict teaching schedule as well as spy duties had left his internal clock unaccustomed to anything else. He leaned over to bestow a kiss on the head of the woman in his arms before quietly untangling himself to rise from his-_their _bed to make his way to the bath and his usual morning ablutions. Finally dressed in his usual array of frock coat, white linen shirt and slim black trousers, he gave his gently snoring witch a last peck on her warm cheek before leaving their room to head across the dimly lit corridor to Rose's bedroom.

Silent as a shadow, he crept inside and stood by her bed watching her sleep. She was clutching Babbity and looked very much at peace in his home. _Their_ _home,_ his mind whispered the correction, but then pushed it back. He was not sure if Rose considered Spinner's End her home yet as she always referred to it as 'Professor Snape's house'.

Severus sat down on the chair next to her bed contemplating the little girl who had reduced his walls to rubble in a way The Dark Lord or Dumbledore had never been able to. While it was a terrifying conclusion; parts of him were also intrigued. Was this what it felt like to have a child? It felt similar to how he felt about the twins; his godchildren, but there was something more with Rose. He wanted to draw her into his arms and keep her safe from all the darkness of the world. She certainly did have him wrapped around her finger, and he had to admit to himself, at least, that it felt right. What gave him pause was he was unsure that she felt the same way about him.

Rose had declared (rather passionately) during the battle with Bilius that she wished _he_ had been her father instead of Bilius, he knew, though, that sometimes things could be said during the heat of the moment that were not necessarily true, and right now the little redhead was still so angry at him, he doubted very much she could think of him as a _friend_ let alone a _father figure_. Would she ever trust him enough to accept him as a permanent fixture in her and her mother's lives? If he wanted to build a closer relationship with Hermione's daughter, as well as make Spinner's End feel more like her home, he knew he would have to make certain changes in both his personal life and his home.

_Could he do that? Could an old dog be taught new tricks after so long?_

Smoothing back a strawberry curl from her head, he tucked his mother's quilt more securely around her shoulders and exited the room with a plan in mind.

If he doubted he was in love before, all thoughts fled with the changes he knew would have to take place, especially within himself. He hoped it would not end up being his undoing.

_For Rose, this child... for Hermione, a beautiful soul... Severus sighed. Changes, upheavals - for these two ladies he could love and learn to be what they needed. He wanted to change._

* * *

The scent of sausages and eggs as well as coffee and muffins had roused Hermione's senses, and though she was saddened to have wakened to an empty bed, the delicious smells told her that _her _wizard was preparing breakfast. Grateful that at least one of them could cook, she bathed, dressed in one of her new robes and actually took the time to style her hair. Afterward, she stared at herself in the looking glass (thankfully a Muggle one that did not speak back) and almost did not recognise herself.

The new robes, a rich earth brown interwoven with forest green silk threading was pulled together at her waist with a deep moss sash enhancing her hour glass shape. The gold beaded eyelet bodice dipped low enough to define her cleavage but was still very modest in its cut. The sleeves were long and flowing, and the softness of the fabric made her feel as if she was cradled in silk. Her hair was loose and flowing the way she knew Severus preferred it, with only a few strands pulled back to accentuate her face.

For the first time in her life, she not only looked like a witch of her standing, but also felt like one. It was amazing what love, friends, and a new outlook on life could do for one's self esteem. It had been so long since she felt both beautiful and worth the love of a real man.

Feeling a genuine smile on her face, she left their bedroom and walked over to her daughter's room to collect her for breakfast. Rose was already up and dressed in one of her new pinafores of striped crème and blue. She was painting at her easel and concentrating so hard, she did not even realise her mother had walked in until she was grabbed from behind and pulled to the floor for a tickle filled hug.

"Mummy, I'm working!" Rose huffed, clearly not happy at being interrupted. She also had her dignity to contend with considering she was no longer a baby. She was seven for Merlin's sake!

Hermione laughed thinking how grown up Rose could sound with her irritation. "I'm sorry Rosie; I just wanted to bring you down for breakfast. If I am smelling correctly, I think Severus has made muffins… chocolate to be exact."

Rose clapped her hands, clearly forgetting about her drawing or the inconvenience her mother had caused the budding artist. Professor Snape was making bread and chocolate muffins at that!

She scurried from her mother's lap and raced to the door, only to stop abruptly in front of it.

_She was supposed to be mad at Professor Snape until he told her a story._

Even though Rose was not mad anymore, and also felt bad for what _her _Professor had to do for them, the little bit of pride within would not allow her to back down.

_She had to stay mad at him, even though she didn't want to._

"Rose," Hermione said quietly as she bent down to her daughter's level. She knew Rose liked to be on eye level with the adults who spoke to her so she could feel equal in a sense. It made her more comfortable. Thankfully Severus had understood that from the beginning and usually did the same thing.

_Ron had always glared down at her from his tall form._

"Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong?"Hermione whispered as she pulled her daughter into her arms.

Rose leaned into her touch and rested her strawberry head against her mother's cheek, allowing herself to be lifted onto a hip.

"Nothing mummy, I'm just not very hungry this morning."

Hermione sighed. She knew where this was coming from, and unless it was solved soon, nobody would have any peace; especially Severus whom she knew was also hurting from their estrangement. His last spoken words to Rose alone told her that. Unfortunately, she also understood that it was something Severus and Rose had to solve themselves, especially if they were going to establish a parental relationship. She could not interfere.

Hermione didn't say a word as she took the child's hand in hers and together they made their way to the source of all the tantalising smells; the sunny kitchen of Spinner's End.

* * *

Breakfast was an unusually quiet affair, even for someone as reclusive as the Potions Master. A heaviness of discord hung in the air between the older wizard and the stubborn little girl until Hermione could take it no longer. Severus had made several attempts to speak to Rose, only to have her rebuff him at every turn. She even refused to try the chocolate muffins he had made especially for her. Hermione could see that Severus was getting more flustered by the minute and was about to admonish Rose for her rude behaviour when Severus suddenly took her hand and kissed her open palm in full view of her daughter. Her hazel eyes met his deepest grey with absolute shock at such an open display of affection. The whole world seemed to melt away until the only things she recognised was the warmth of her palm in his hand, and the intense look in his stormy eyes.

"You look beautiful today Hermione."

His voice was deep and warm with no hint of sarcasm or mocking tones. She searched his eyes and saw no hint of deception, only truth.

_Severus Snape had paid her a compliment…openly._

Her mouth opened and closed several times, and she felt a deep blush rise to her cheeks that spread down her neck. She knew she looked decent enough and had thought so herself this morning, but to have him openly acknowledge it was completely unexpected, and something she was not use to. Ron had rarely if ever complimented her looks, unless he was drunk and trying to shag her.

_Certainly not the way to bolster a woman's self esteem._

But Severus was being honest and in fact still had not released her hand nor turned his gaze away from hers.

Hermione ran a small tongue over her bottom lip and gave a shy smile. "Thank you Severus. I…I feel good for once. It's not just the clothes; it is many things starting with you, to be honest. I wanted to…"

"What about me? Aren't I pretty?" A small voice asked.

Hermione and Severus turned in the direction of the question only to be met with intense blue eyes locked onto their joined hands.

Suddenly self-conscious, Hermione tried to pull her hand away from Severus', but he held on to hers with a gentle yet firm grip going so far as to interlace their fingers much to Hermione's astonishment. Rose's eyes narrowed.

"Seeking compliments …Rose?" Severus queried, testing her name on his tongue and finding it much easier to say than he had in the past. "I do not think, however, that is your real question. Why don't you ask what you really intended to?" The Potions Master's dark eyes met Rose's gaze with a steady calm that even he was not feeling.

Relationships were an entirely new realm for him, but he knew if he did not take the plunge now, he never would.

Rose's piercing blue eyes travelled from her mother, who was smiling at her encouragingly, and back to the Professor who even though was not smiling, did not seem threatening or angry. In fact if Rose were to guess, he seemed almost…..curious?

Rose crossed her arms over her chest not wanting to give too much away. She needed to protect herself and her mummy as well as Babbity….maybe Elly too. If she could resist those delicious chocolate muffins that had been taunting her since they arrived at breakfast, then she could do this, too.

_She was still mad…wasn't she?_

Besides, she could not let the Professor hurt her mummy like da…no, _Ron_ had done. She had to know the truth. _She had to protect her mummy._

Pushing up her small chin, she met the Professor's dark eyes with all the resilience she could muster. "You like my mummy?" Rose asked with as much command in her tiny voice that a seven year old could produce. Remy and Severus had told her that her mummy was sweet on the Professor, but that didn't mean it was true. She'd show them!

"No, I do not."

_HA! Rose knew it! He even admitted it! She could not wait to tell the twins. She had to save her Mummy, and then…._

"I love her."

Rose lost all train of thought and felt like she had just fallen into the cold stream by Neverland. All the words she had planned to use in her anger against the Professor fell out of her mind like bubbles popping in the summer air. She looked at her mummy and saw her staring at the dark wizard with astonishment etched on her face. Stray tears glistened down her cheeks like falling stars on a warm night. Their joined hands tightened, and her mummy placed her other free hand on top of the Professor's own. Then Rose finally understood.

_Her mummy loved him back._

Rose dropped her eyes down to her lap. She thought she would feel angry, but she didn't, in fact, deep down, she almost felt jealous. The Professor never said he loved her, just her mummy, then again, why would he? She had been so mean to him, even though he had apologised to her. Even Remy and Sevvy had tried to tell her that he was a good man. Didn't he just risk his life to save both her and her mummy? What was wrong with her? She didn't even realise she had been crying until strong arms picked her up and held her close, his soft black cloak wrapping around her with the scents that were now so familiar to her. Clean linen, cut grass…..

She tried to keep herself still and not give in. She didn't want to show weakness like she had to Ron. She knew that if she did, he would just hurt her like all fathers did.

Rose felt long fingers stroke her hair as he sat on her chair and gently rocked her back and forth pressing her against him. The child clutched at the dark cloth; she was still crying softly, somehow afraid to let go... to having to return to being mad at her Professor.

"Rose, I need you to listen to me," his voice thrummed gently against her ear laid against his chest. "I understand that you are mad at me but I have explained and apologised for having hurt you, and your mother. I cannot keep apologising repeatedly, though. You either accept it or you do not, though I do hope that you will, as being unforgiving can cause more damage than you realise. I know this from experience," Severus said, and lifted the child's chin so she could meet him eye to eye. A surge of hope filled his heart when she did not pull away or refuse. Encouraged by this, Severus continued, "I will however fulfil my end of the bargain and give you a bedtime story tonight, after that, the ball as they say, is in your court. Whatever your decision, I will respect it, but that does not change the fact that your mother and I are together. I do indeed love her as I love you, and even though it is not much, I am hoping you will eventually accept Spinner's End as your home." As an afterthought he added, "You will be free, of course, to decorate your room as you see fit, and perhaps after we come home from Vienna we can make it a project we can work on together. What do you think, hmm?"

Rose stared at Severus, not knowing what to say. She turned to look at her mummy, but noticed that she had moved off to clean the dishes and tidy up the small kitchen without use of magic.

_Rose wasn't stupid, she knew it was to give her and the Professor time alone._

Rose swallowed hard, and started to chew her bottom lip. The Professor said he loved her just like her mummy, but what if he hurt them like Ron did? Didn't Ron say the same things before? How could she trust him?

"You won't never hurt me again?" her finger shyly stroked one of the buttons on his frock coat.

"I shall never purposely do so," Severus promised solemnly. He knew he might do so inadvertently, but parents did so, did they not? They were not perfect, and he certainly knew he was not.

_Rose's mind kept speaking to her, __Everyone from the twins to Mr. Jigger, Mr. Malfoy and even her mum said she could trust him. Mummy trusted him with her life, and didn't he just save them both?_

_And didn't you tell Ron that you wished he were your father, _nudged another voice that sounded very much like Babbity.

Rose turned her cerulean eyes to the Professor's dark grey, and reached up her small hands to catch the strands of his blue/black hair. He tightened his arms around her, and she fell back into the now familiar rhythm of relaxing against the comforting wool of his frock coat, with all those buttons. Maybe she could trust him and one day he would want to be her father. She had never seen her mummy look happier, and she wanted to be happy too….but he still owed her a story.

"Professor I…"

"I think under these new conditions," Severus said with clear relief in his eyes as he brushed a stray lock of strawberry curl behind her ear. "-it would be more relevant for you to call me something other than _Professor Snape_. Though the honorific is something I am entitled to, I think being the daughter of the woman I am in love with I should bequeath you more rights than the average person, therefore since you have given me the right to call you by your given name _Rose_, I shall give you the same right in return."

Rose looked at Severus in confusion before turning to her mum who was putting away the last of the dishes. Hermione smiled with clear amusement in her eyes.

"In other words Rosie, you may stop calling him Professor Snape and may instead call him Severus."

Severus huffed in indignation. "I believe I just said that."

Hermione walked over to the dark wizard and planted a small kiss upon the top of his head. "Rose is seven if you recall, my dearest, not forty."

Feeling happier than she had in a long time, Rose pulled a chocolate muffin off the top of the pile still on the table and took a large bite. Bliss filled her senses before she snuggled closer to her Professor…_Severus_, and smiled contentedly.

"I know what he meant. I was just being sure," Rose lied before taking another bite of the muffin. _He really was the bestest cook in the entire world and he belonged to her and mummy now!_

For his part, Severus said nothing as she ate the entire muffin while crumbs fell all over his frock coat and trousers. She seemed content to sit on his lap while eating, and he was too releived that she no longer seemed angry at him to ask her to move.

Hermione watched the whole situation unfold, but said nothing as she knew the two people she loved most in the world were on their way to repairing the damage that had been done, in their own way. She silently slipped out of the kitchen to give them more time alone.

When Rose was about to reach for a third muffin, Severus gently stilled her hands.

"I think that is enough for now, young lady, if not, I doubt your mother would allow me to make anything else for you in the future."

Rose's mouth turned down with a frown, but she released the muffin and allowed the Potions Master to clean her face and wipe the crumbs from both her pinafore and his frock coat. He stood, put Rose on her feet, tidied up the kitchen table with a Scourgify and banished the muffins to his bread bin. Severus then stretched out his hand to the little girl. Rose seemed to have an internal debate before finally accepting the proffered hand, and together they made their way to his study where Hermione was already seated behind the desk answering correspondence regarding their trip to Vienna. Rose ran to her mother who smiled down at her daughter before picking her up and placing her on her lap. She turned to Severus who was watching the tableau of mother and child as he, once again, was struck with the realisation that he was a part of them, now.

"Are you headed off then, love?" Hermione asked of Severus. She tried not to let concern invade her voice. Severus told her yesterday after Rose had gone to bed that he would be gone for most of the day, though he would not specify where. He told her that if he was needed for anything, Lucius would know where to find him. Though it bothered her that Severus did not seem to trust her with the information, she also knew she was dealing with a very private man whose reclusive life had just been turned completely upside-down. She could see he was trying to take huge steps for her and Rose, and in return, she would have to do the same for him, even if it meant backing down at times. She had to keep reminding herself that this was not Ron, and that she could trust him.

Severus could see the emotions play out upon Hermione's face as she kissed her daughter's forehead, smoothed the pinafore, and fussed needlessly over Rose while consternation, and her need to know fought within her. He stepped over to them both, and stroked Hermione's cheek with the back of his fingers.

"I need to speak with Harry, and then my godsons, Hermione. Yesterday was, no doubt, confusing to them. I ought to say something to them."

Hermione smiled gratefully at this small concession from the usually reticent wizard. It warmed Severus' heart to see that smile. Severus summoned his cloak and scarf before adding, "I shall not be back until this evening. I believe I will take care of the necessary paperwork and acquire our Portkey to Vienna after visiting the Potters," he said while wrapping his Slytherin scarf snugly around his neck. He may no longer be tied to Hogwarts, but he was still damned proud of his house even if most people, including the former Headmaster saw it as a detriment.

"That's fine Severus. I'll handle the rest of the arrangements, and start the outline for your speech from the notes you gave me. It's actually quite fascinating love! I had no idea you were so close to finding a better alternative for the Wolfsbane Potion. Remus would have been very proud," she said softly.

Severus nodded, "Perhaps." To himself he admitted that he no longer felt a glimmer of the grudge he once held against the 'last of the Marauders'. If the wizard had lived, it was possible they might have repaired their differences – yet, with the man gone, he would never know if that was to be. Severus bent to place a chaste kiss on Hermione's cheek, before turning to Rose who had been watching the exchange with curious eyes the entire time.

"Always the observer," Severus murmured before patting her head softly. He turned his dark eyes back to Hermione. "Do not worry about dinner. I will bring something home. Preferences?" He asked as he slipped on his black fingerless gloves.

"A curry is fine. I'm sorry I can't be of more help in the kitchen, Severus," she blushed before turning her head away in embarrassment over her lack of culinary skills.

Severus immediately cupped her face and forced her to look into his eyes. "Never apologise Hermione. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The important thing is we acknowledge them and strive to do better. I will not hear anymore of this nonsense, is that clear?"

Hermione looked into the eyes of the wizard before her, and knew he meant every word. After years of abuse from Ron, accepting not only herself, but support from others would be a challenge, although she knew she needed to learn, or her daughter would not fair any better. She now had a man who truly loved her as well as a daughter who needed her to be a better role model.

_Severus was right._

Nodding, she raised her hands to cover the wizard's own gloved ones on her cheeks and lifted her head to lightly brush her lips over his. She knew it was another step of intimacy in front of her daughter, but Hermione felt it was one that needed to be taken. She wanted Rose to understand that Severus was going to be a permanent figure in their lives, and one her daughter needed to start accepting, even if it was gradually.

Severus sighed so softly at the kiss it was almost inaudible, before pulling back. With a slight nod to both _his girls_, he turned on his heel and strode toward the sitting room intending to Disapparate to his destination. He had just fixed the location firmly in his mind when he heard someone running toward him.

"Severus?"

Severus spun around to see Rose staring at him from the doorway to the sitting room. It was the first time she had called him anything aside from Professor. Severus took a breath and met the girl's gaze calmly.

"Yes Rose?"

Rose took a hesitant step into the room.

"You are coming back?" She didn't meet his eyes, but followed the pattern of the Oriental rug by the hearth instead.

Severus stared at the little girl in front of him allowing her unsaid insecurities to wash over him in order to understand. "Come here," he said and bent down so he was eye level with the child.

Slowly she came to stand before him, her hands twisting in front of her. She still didn't meet his eyes.

"Accio Elly." The faded, charmed bunny flew through the air and landed in the Potions Master's hands. He brushed her off a bit, and smoothed back the floppy ears before pressing it into Rose's hands.

"I know you do not want her because you are angry with me, but Elly is not to blame for what happened. _I am_. She needs a friend right now, and since I cannot be here, I would like to ask that you take care of her until I come _home_. I cannot leave Elly, just like I cannot leave you or your mother, so you have my word that I will come back. Will you do this for me?"

Rose finally raised her eyes to look at Severus and nodded. As she pressed Elly against her chest, the fear that he would not return started to fade. _He_ was not like Ron. _He_ would not leave them. _He_ still had a story to tell her. _He_ promised.

Suddenly, she felt her heart open like a floodgate. She did not want Severus to leave without him knowing that she was no longer mad at him. Still clutching Elly with one hand she threw her arms around the Potions Master's neck and buried her face into his hair, tears streaming down her face.

"I….I'm s-sorry, Severus. I'm not mad anymore. I never wanted to be, but I thought you hated me. I dint understand everything that happened. Remy and Sevvy tried to tell me, but I got all confused with the Legimans. Are you alright now?" She asked, her face still buried in his hair.

Severus allowed a small smile to tug at the corner of his lips, as he held the little girl close while patting her back soothingly. "I am indeed much better, but it will still take time for me to heal completely. I hope you can understand this. No matter what happens, please know I have _never _hated you, Rose, only what your fath..what _Bilius_ did to you and your mother. As I said earlier, I am rather fond of both of you."

Rose pulled her face away from Severus' hair and looked straight into his eyes.

"You said you loved us."

Severus nodded and breathed in slowly. Sentiments were never easy for him to express, but he knew she needed to hear it. "Indeed I did…_I do."_

"Elly and Babbity too?"

Severus pretended to give a resigned sigh while rolling his eyes. "If I must."

Rose smiled knowingly. "Of course you must. They are part of the family too, you know, and you did promise all of us a story tonight. You're still going to tell us one right, Severus?"

Severus stared at the child wondering if she realised what she had just said. She had called them a _family. _Severus nodded silently not trusting himself to speak at the moment.

If Rose understood any of the implications of her words, she kept it to herself, choosing instead to hug Elly close while placing a small peck on the Potions Master's sallow cheek before running upstairs.

Severus stood up and stared at the place where he last saw Rose standing. He hesitantly touched the spot on his cheek where the little girl had kissed him, before letting his usual mask of indifference fall over his face. Turning on the spot, he Disapparated away.

Hermione stood silently in the little alcove near the study having watched the entire exchange with thoughtful eyes. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks, but there was a smile on her lips.

_Not all tears were bad, some were even healing._


	37. Chapter 37 You Can't Fool A 7-yr Old

Rose, seated upon the balcony she had run to, watched the space where her professor… _her Severus_… had vanished for a long time. As she did so she chewed her lower lip, and could not resist slipping her thumb between her lips to suck upon it. She knew her mother disapproved but sometimes that little baby-ish habit was the only thing that could calm her down. It was then that she remembered she was holding the little Velveteen Rabbit. She lifted the floppy toy up to her eyes as she stood from her place.

"Hi, Elly." She let out a small puff of air. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you." She shrugged and cuddled the rabbit to her chest. "It was sooo crazy around here, Elly, but mum's fixed it, and so has the pro… the um… Severus." Rose grinned. "He wants me to call him Severus, did you know that? It's because I'm special to him."

Spinning around she then skipped down the stairs and about a foot down the short hallway to the kitchen where her mother was occupying herself watering about a dozen house plants that were everywhere.

Rose stepped in and sat down upon a kitchen chair. "Mummy?"

Hermione turned at her daughter's voice and moved to sit across from her. "Did you catch Severus, sweetheart?"

Rose nodded quickly but then sucked her lower lip between her teeth. Hermione also noticed that the small girl had wrinkled her brow so tightly she almost had a Neanderthal-like ridge over her eyes. Hermione stroked her thumbs over the faint ridge and the frown to ease the taut muscles. She then chucked the girl's chin.

"What do you want to ask, my girl?"

"You really like… Severus, Mummy?" Rose asked slowly.

"I do, Rose. Do you mind?" Hermione nearly held her breath. She truly hoped that Rose would not mind Severus at all.

Rose smiled but she was obviously still worried. "I like him, mummy, and he seems a lot nicer… a whole lot nicer than da… Ron was." She huffed in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest as she gazed intently at her mother. "I don't have magic, Mum. He's gotta treat you nice because I can't hex him if he doesn't."

Hermione smiled and leaned forward to kiss her daughter's brow. "Severus does treat me very well, sweetheart. He's even told me that he loves me."

Rose narrowed her eyes shrewdly, "Is that why you slept in his room?"

Hermione's mouth gaped. Her mind immediately jumped to the subject of the _'__Birds and the Bees'_ and how could she have that talk now? So gobsmacked, she gaped like a landed fish for a second or two more. She was still floundering around for an answer when Rose piped in with her own observations.

"Well, Grandma Molly sleeps with Grandpa Arthur because they love each other. You and R-ron never slept together because I don't think you really loved each other."

Hermione let out a whoosh of breath. Rose had NOT been asking what she thought she had been asking. Relieved to have escaped 'The Talk' Hermione nodded, and agreed, "Yes, Rosie, that's it exactly. Since we do love each other we get to sleep together."

"And kiss," Rose teased.

Hermione's heart dropped. Did Rose maybe know more than she was letting on? _Oh god_, her mind screamed, _I don't want to have 'The Talk' today!_

"Mummy and Sev'rus sittin' in a tree… K I SS I N G… " Rose sang the annoying little school yard rhyme until she caught her mother's eye. Her mother was not pleased by the teasing. She was not horribly angry, but she _was_ annoyed, and something else.

"Rosie," began Hermione slowly. Rose could hear a plea in her mother's voice and so she locked her attention onto her mother. "What… well Severus and I do like to kiss… what I mean is that… and we're going to share his bedroom… but no, that's not what I meant. I meant to say…"

"You're having sex, mummy." Rose smiled, stood, and patted her mother's hands that had been wringing each other. "It's okay. Adults like that sort of thing, so it's all right with me. Can I go out in the yard?"

"Uhm… yeah…?" Blinking somewhat dazedly she heard the back door in the kitchen open, and then slam shut with the carefree attention a child normally gave a door.

After a moment as silence drifted over the kitchen, and Hermione was sure she had stopped breathing, she drew in a deep breath. "Sex." she declared to the empty room. "How does my little girl know about… s-sex?" Hermione stood and frowned. "How... does... she…" Her lips thinning she turned on her heel, went to the back door, yanked it open, and stepped out into the yard.

A warm breeze was lifting the last of winter out of the air and she just barely observed that there were sprouts of new grass, and signs of growth emerging from the thawed grounds of several garden beds. Rose was crouched down where there was a stack of pebbles beside some of the new grass. She did not seem to be aware of her mother coming towards her.

"Rosie Athene," called Hermione as she crouched down by her daughter. "How do you know about…?" she swallowed and mentally told herself to get a grip. Surely it hadn't been this difficult for her mother when she was… oh good grief! She'd been _six_ when she asked her mother about what grown-ups did together!

"Grandma Molly," replied Rose simply. She had found a pretty little beetle and was watching as it marched past the small stack of pebbles.

"Grandma Molly," Hermione fumed slightly knowing the older woman had taken this discussion from her. "How did all of _this_ come about?"

"Well, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur were visiting and Aunt Fleur was hanging all over Uncle Bill and kissing his cheeks, and his neck, and his mouth, too, and I overheard her tell Uncle Bill that she couldn't wait to get him into bed." Rose shrugged, still watching the beetle. "That sounded silly to me. Who wants to go to bed ever? So I asked Victoire what her mummy meant and she told me that her mummy and daddy liked to have sex a lot in bed."

Hermione dropped from her crouch to the short distance to the ground on her backside. She hated Fleur - that nose-in-the-air French snob that Bill Weasley had married. Her little daughter, Victoire, a few years older than Rose, was practically a carbon copy of her mother always flouncing about in fancy frocks and make-up and talking about boys.

"Rose, what did Grandma Molly tell you? Why did you ask her about s-sex?" Hermione desperately wanted to use a word that was not so blunt sounding, but if she did not use the terminology her daughter was using, she might think it was a bad thing to use such words. She only hoped that Rose never said 'sex' to Severus; he would curl up and die!

The beetle skittered away so Rose glanced up at her mother. "I had to. Victoire was talking about boys she liked and wanted to kiss and stuff and when I tried to ask her, Victoire just said it was kissing, a lot of kissing and that didn't make sense to me. I'd seen Grandpa Arthur kissing Grandma Molly so I asked her what sex was and if Victoire was having me on." She smiled. "Grandma Molly gave me a really neat book with pictures in it that talked — the book talked, mum! First it told about chickens and eggs, and then about love between adults and kissing and that when adults loved each other they would go to bed together to have sex and sometimes it would make babies."

Hermione, still feeling a bit in shock, and wading through thoughts of her daughter knowing what she and Severus had done, and now her daughter knew that Molly and Arthur and Bill and Fleur had been doing the same thing, couldn't speak. It also did not help that this was _the_ sacred talk about the _Birds and the Bees_ that she had planned, for years, to share with her daughter. One of those perfect mother-daughter bonding moments in a little girl's life as she grew up. And, blasted Molly took that away from her!

Rose was unaware of what was going through her mother's mind. Running her finger through the dirt and around the little shoots of grass; she was worried about something much bigger.

It was Rose that finally spoke and she asked, "I know you and daddy didn't love each other, mummy, but you both still made Hugo and that meant you were having sex but I don't think it made either of you happy and the book said that sex was a… an '_expression of love between adults_'."

Hermione suddenly stopped thinking about 'The Talk', Grandma Molly, Fleur, and her ridiculous daughter. Rose was looking up at her with worry and concern plain in her big blue eyes. She felt her heart clench painfully as she realised she knew what her daughter was trying to ask but in a very round-about way.

She pulled Rose onto her lap and the girl wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Hermione kissed the curls, and gently moved her daughter so she could still look into her eyes. "Rose, are you afraid that Severus is going to hurt me now that we're sleep… having s-s-sex? The way daddy used to hurt me?"

Rose nodded. "I know Grandpa doesn't hurt Grandma and I don't think Uncle Bill hurts Aunt Fleur, and I don't want Severus to hurt you but, mum, he was so awfully angry yesterday," she whispered. Rose had grasped one of her mother's bushy curls in her fingers and was twirling it about her finger. "It was scary, mum, and I remember daddy being so scary and just like he was really scary the other day when he came to hurt us in Severus' house!"

Hermione hugged Rose tightly and felt the child's arms tighten around her neck. She even felt a tug from the curl of her hair that the girl had not, yet, let go of. Disentangling her daughter from her hair, but keeping her in her lap, Hermione touched Rose's chin. She looked earnestly into those beautiful, worried eyes. "Rosie Athene, my little warrior, listen carefully to me. Severus _can_ be terribly scary when he gets angry, but I can promise you that he will never hit me like daddy used to. He will never wilfully hurt either of us."

"Cause he loves us?" asked Rose timidly.

"Yes," Hermione stated firmly. "Severus truly does love us…"

Rose interrupted, "I don't think daddy ever did, mummy." Her features were grim, her little mouth resentful with a sneer.

Hermione's lips thinned and her brown eyes blazed with an old fury. "I don't think Ron did either, my girl. He was foolish for that, and he was a dunderhead of the worst kind because he never knew what a jewel you are. Severus knows you're special and that you're worth loving." She then smiled and kissed her daughter's brow. "He thinks I'm special, too, and worth loving for a very long time."

"Forever?" asked Rose hopefully.

Hermione blushed softly. "I'd like him to, Rose. I know I could love him forever. Do you think you could love Severus?"

"I think I want to, mummy. If he's being scary at other people that's okay. And, he pertected us from da… from Ron and he brought us here, and he made me chocolate muffins this morning."

Hermione giggled. "Well, that's a declaration of love right there, sweetheart! Chocolate muffins!"

Rose giggled too and snuggled closer to her mother. "So, we get to live here forever and always now?"

"That we do, my girl. You get to keep your bedroom and…" Hermione hesitated only slightly, then continued, "if you don't mind I'm going to share Severus' bedroom with him."

Rose let out a sigh of relief. Her mother, like always, understood her and that was good. Now it was time to think of other, more important things. "Will Severus help me decorate my room, mum?" Rose knew that Severus had already told her that he would help her to decorate, but she thought her mother needed something normal to think about, and to know that Rose liked… even loved… Severus again. Rose had forgiven the dark man for his misplaced temper of the other day.

"I think he would like to do that very much, Rose, but you ought to ask him. Can you do that?"

"After my bedtime story I'll ask him, mum. Can we go and explore, now?" Rose tumbled from her mother's lap, stood, and held out a helping hand to her mother. Hermione grasped the little girl's hand but used her own strength to get to her feet. Before they left, she summoned quill and paper, and wrote a quick note to Severus. She then charmed it so that it when he came back home, it would find him, and pop into existence right in front of him.

_Dear Severus,_

_Rose and I are exploring our neighbourhood. She wants to thank you for the chocolate muffins, and I want to thank you for loving us._

_We'll be back no later than six o'clock. If you use a Point Me Charm you can find us if you get worried._

_Your girls, with all our love,_

_Hermione and Rose_


	38. Chapter 38 Play time!

_**This chapter I should like to dedicate to severus49 who is going through some tough times. ~etherian**_

"You want to... _play_... with my children." Harry stood in his living room his grip tight upon the tea tray that he had nearly dropped.

Severus glowered at the man who was still a dense twit, at times. "They are MY god-children, Harry. It is not that unusual that I wish to play with them."

Harry put the tea things down on the table between his chair and Severus' and began to fuss with pouring the tea. "Hate to contradict you, Severus, but it _is_ unusual. For one, it's nearly nine in the morning, and you're usually brewing. That, and you've never played with my kids. Oh, you've watched them, even sort of baby-sat them but your idea of playing has been to teach them chess, to teach them potions, or to take them on walks to get potion ingredients."

"Young Severus has never minded," muttered Severus as he drew his cup close to his lips and blew across the steam.

"Severus is a mini-you but in shorts, a jumper, and without the scowl." Harry sipped at his tea. He chuckled. "Well, he is getting better at that scowl." Harry then put down his tea. "No, you've never played, Severus, and I know they've tried. I don't know how many winters they both have wanted you to play in the snow with them, but you refuse. And when we went to the beach, they got a lecture on 'tide pool lifeforms'." The messy-haired man pushed up his glasses and smirked at the older wizard. "You're boring, Severus."

With a sharp glower said wizard put down his mug of tea firmly, and stood up – all the better to loom over the mirthful, arrogant wizard. "Yes, well, be that as it may, I should still like to play with your children. Is that permitted or should I go and bother Draco..."

"Yeah, Severus!" Harry smiled. He could imagine Draco playing with the dour wizard, and nearly burst out laughing. "Besides, isn't Draco off with Ollivander getting some lectures of his own?"

"Ollivander and his apprentice have gone to New Zealand to study the differences in wandlore and wand-making," Severus replied softly.

Harry stood. These days he was much more tolerant around Severus who could turn into a volatile – er, Death Eater at the drop of a hat. Not so different from his days as a teacher. "Well, 'godfather', you're in luck. Remus and Severus are outside, across the street at the park. It's a Muggle park, so no magic." Harry wagged his finger at the older man who sneered at him, and then turned away, and left. The younger man just chuckled softly.

The Muggle park, enclosed by a black enamelled wrought iron fence, was not crowded but there were children of all ages playing across its sand and dirt surface. It's 'near' quiet may have been due to the English Oak trees that sprawled, unchecked and long forgotten along the fence; even engulfing the fence in many places.

Luna sat placidly enveloped in a long, Cashmere coat of soft brown that had a faux fur lined hood. As she knitted, and hummed to herself, Severus was reminded of a contented princess awaiting, not her prince, but her child. It made for a pretty picture in the Autumn chill that pre-saged the coming snows. Vienna would not suffer the vagaries of Winter until the conference was over. Until then, at great expense to the organisers of the conference, Weather Goblins would make certain the weather was clement.

Severus ducked his head as he felt something thunk against his skull. He glared as he heard Remus shout, "Look out below!"

"Pilot to bombadier!" yelled young Severus. "Target directly below!"

Severus turned quickly, looked up into the Autumn leaves to see young Remus with a handful of acorns, and his arm upraised ready to toss them.

"Do so, Mr. Remus Sirius Potter, and I shall make it my personal duty to ensure that you have detention every single day that you are attending Hogwarts," threatened Severus with the darkest look either twin had ever seen.

Remus pouted. Severus, clad in dark blue Corduroy trousers and a black jumper, was swinging effortlessly down and out of the branches of the tree. "You're no fair, Uncle!" pouted young Severus.

The older Severus promptly lodged an acorn – no one knew where it had come from – unerringly at his namesakes forehead. The younger Severus cried out. Remus had dropped from the tree, onto his bottom. He wore an outfit matched to his brother's.

Severus smirked at the nine year old rubbing his forehead and scowling at him. "Still believe me to be unfair, Severus?"

"Yeah," muttered the shorter Severus. "You're bigger'n'me, and you're bein' mean!"

The older Severus swooped down – an amazing sight since he had Transfigured his robe into a knee length, wool trench coat – and picked the boy up into his arms. Severus giggled as his godfather swung him round once and then put him down. Remus let out a shriek as he was picked up, swung round, and then put down onto his feet.

"Boys," Severus addressed the twins with his hands upon his hips. "I am in need of some information. I am rather awful at playing and telling stories. Is this something you can assist me with?"

Remus and Severus glanced at each other with ill-concealed joy. The older wizard started, slightly, as he felt a warm arm slip onto his. "Playing, Severus? I think you might awaken a dragon if you do so," came Luna's teasing warmth.

Severus chuckled and patted the young witch's hand upon his forearm. "I fear that I have already done so, Luna." With mock melodrama, he glanced up at the clear sky, "Alas, it is my fate as I am needed to be less so severe with another child." He dropped his head, and Luna let go of him, turning him over to her sons as they each grabbed one of their godfather's hands in theirs.

As the twins tugged him further onto the playground the older man wondered at his foolish wisdom; and whether or not it might kill him!

The morning turned into an afternoon of swings, climbing more of the oak trees, 'acorn dodge' (the older Severus won), until the twins and their godfather sprawled, sans jumpers and coat, beneath a heavy curtain of an oak. They had all warmed up and were catching their breath.

"You do this everyday?" Severus inquired of the boys.

Young Severus nodded while his brother Remus replied, "Mum says it's great exercise!"

"It must be," said Severus removing a handkerchief from his pocket and swiping it across his forehead. "I certainly feel quite exercised."

Young Severus chuckled softly. "Yeah, but now it's lunch and mum always makes chicken sandwiches."

"And soup," reminded Remus. "Well, dad makes the soup, but it's really good!"

"Hm, well, it does appear I have an appetite. Let us go and gather your mother for home so I may make a Floo call." Severus rose to his feet, picked up his coat, put it on, then held out his hands to the twins.

Luna smoothly joined the three, as if out of nowhere, and she led the way across the street to Grimmauld Place. After lunch the three went out into the backyard at Grimmauld Place and inspected Luna's Winter garden of magical herbs.

"Uncle Severus?" asked the younger namesake. "You like that woman... erm, dad's friend?"

"Her name is Hermione Granger, Severus. And, yes, I rather like her quite a bit," the older wizard answered.

Remus glowered, "Rose is mad at you, you know?"

"I do know, Remus," sighed Severus. "Rose has forgiven me, though. Her mother and I both explained what had happened."

"Is that why you were playin' with us just so's you could play with Rose?" asked Remus sadly and with a touch of jealousy.

Severus stopped before the steps that led up to the back door of their house. He lifted Remus up two steps so they were more eye-to-eye with each other.

"You are my godson, Remus," Severus thin finger pointed at the little boy's nose. He tapped it lightly, and smiled gently. "I have neglected my duties, though, and have been nothing more than a sometime sitter, for you both." He turned a bit to pick Severus up under his arms and planted him beside his brother. "Rose's presence reminded me of my neglect and that I need to... _loosen up_, as it were, around all three of you. However, I wished to do so with you and Severus first as you are both close in my heart." Severus touched his heart with his fingertips, then tapped each of their noses until they smiled, and giggled.

Young Severus caught the older man's hand in his. Hope lit up his green eyes as he asked, "So, are you gonna love Rose as much as you love us?"

"I believe that I already do," Severus answered his namesake honestly.

Remus suddenly wagged a finger at his godfather, and scowled, "But you made Rose cry, Uncle Severus!"

Severus, aware that his knees were just not as they had been as a student sat down before his godsons. He sighed. "I did, Remus. I am sorry for that."

Young Severus petted his godfather's hair consolingly. "What happened to you?" he asked softly but with no sign of timidity.

Remus sat down beside his godfather and clasped the older man's hand in both of his. Severus quelled the smirk that threatened to appear at the sincerity both boys showed in desiring to comfort him. "Do you both know what happened to me yesterday?" he asked slowly.

Young Severus sat down on the other side of his godfather. He replied, "We overheard mum and dad talking about what happened."

Remus took up the explanation, his voice hurried; he knew his godfather disapproved of any sort of eavesdropping. "We had to listen, Uncle Severus! We knew mum and dad weren't going to tell us anything and we were kinda unsure about if you was gonna tell us anything."

"Yeah," agreed Remus' twin. "You grown-ups sometimes think we don't know about grown-up stuff but we do and me and Remus were scared for you."

Severus quirked a wry smile at each boy and draped an arm over each of their shoulders. "Well, tell me, what did the two of you learn?" Of course, he already knew the answer, but the older wizard needed to make certain that they both truly understood and were not worried, or afraid of their godfather.

"Legil-ee-mens," Remus enunciated slowly. "You did it on Rose's not-dad and got his bad memories in your head and it made you all..." he waved a hand around his head.

"Floobish!" clarified the younger Severus, the word he had learned from their new friend.

_Not-dad? Well, I suppose that is accurate._ "I rather think you could say that was so," he confirmed.

"Are you all better now, Uncle Severus?" asked his namesake.

"Almost, Severus," the older man replied. "I have removed Bilius'... Rose's _not-dad's_ memories from my own but the emotions will taint my thoughts. For only a short while, though."

Remus leaned into his godfather. "Rose told us some stuff about her what her not-dad did, Uncle Severus. He's awful." The little boy turned his face up to the older wizard. "He slapped Rose and knocked her into her paints, and a bunch of other stuff. How can a parent do that?"

Young Severus snarled darkly, "That bastard told Rose she shoulda died instead of her brother!"

"Severus, language," his godfather chided gently.

"Sorry," huffed Remus' twin brother. "But that makes me mad. Parents are s'posed to love their kids and not be mean like that!"

"Parents should never hurt their children, I agree, but it does, unfortunately happen," sighed the Potions Master.

"But Rose is all right now, right Uncle?" Severus spoke hopefully.

"Yes, Severus, Rose will be fine. I shall take care of her, and her mother," the older wizard replied.

"Good," both boys chorused. They then giggled.

Remus stood up from the step they had all settled on. He was grinning. "Uncle Severus! Since you're playing with us now and dad won't let us fly on our brooms without an adult present, would you fly with us?"

Young Severus jumped up. "Oh yeah! We got a new Snitch that's just for kids so it might be kinda boring for you, but it won't be. Will you fly with us? Please, Uncle?"

Severus lifted himself from the step. "An hour only. Then, I need to return home. Hermione and Rose are probably getting bored by now." He had tried to Floo call at lunch and had not received a reply. As none of his alarm wards had alerted him, and Bilius was in prison, he assumed they were busy. The Potions Master turned, faced the back door, opened it, and then Summoned their brooms. Remus already had the Snitch.

Before long all three were racing after the Snitch on their brooms, not high in the sky like their father used to fly, but only about three feet off the ground. That did not dampen their enthusiasm one bit!

Severus Apparated into his home expecting to see Hermione and Rose but a note popped up in front of his nose just as he collapsed into his favourite chair. He snatched the note, which bounced in front of his nose, and read it.

"My girls," he sighed and lay his head back against the head of his chair. He smiled softly as he closed his eyes. Hermione and Rose were exploring Spinner's End so Severus determined to relax his body and to think upon the day he had spent with his godsons.

It had been busy, a lot of exercise, but it had never been awkward. Mostly because the twins did not give any time for awkwardness on his part to show up. In the park they had utilised nearly every device for play, climbed the trees, had an acorn tossing contest that turned into a little vicious camaraderie as they threw the acorns at each other, and then... Merlin! He could not believe this... he had chased them on the park tarmac which degenerated into a game of hide and seek. Severus was quite good at that, but he tamed his natural instincts from spying and Remus had bounced around after his win.

Lunch had been a fast gobbling of soup and salad, Severus' Floo call, and then back outside but into the backyard. Their game of 3-Man Snitch had mostly been racing each other since they all three managed to lose sight of the elusive snitch. After the race Harry had called them all inside and the boys were tucked into their beds for a before dinner nap.

Severus stretched, and glanced at the note from his beauty, again. Glancing at the water-clock on the mantle he saw that it was nearly five towards the evening.

He began to wonder where _his girls_ were.

**_A/N: From now on, all chapters will be written solely by me, etherian. Please be kind if my punctuation, spelling, or grammar is not up to par. I will fix it should you catch it._**

**_In regards to all the reviews I've received so far and NOT replied to: do know that I do read them and am very much appreciative of them. I just have limited time on the computer, and so many things to do, and I really want to keep this story going. So, please forgive me for not replying to everyone._**


	39. Chapter 39 Exploring Spinner's End

Spinner's End, in constant shadow beneath the twin towers that belonged to an abandoned factory, had once been the elite of all the neighbourhoods around. It held none of the charm it once had and more resembled London during the infamous Blitzkrieg during the war. Hermione could not see it, but the charm that was now there was in Rose and Hermione herself as they explored.

Severus' home was at the end of the street occupying land that sprawled on either side of the two-story house. The Potions Master had kept the house liveable. He did little with the yard and Hermione had seen, many times before, that the neglect gave the house its further appearance of being part of the other abandoned homes. Weeds, thorns, ivy, grass crawled over, and through the series of homes long since left empty once the factory had shut its doors and laid off all their workers.

It was sad looking, to be honest, and it made Hermione long for her lost home of Neverland. If she and Severus were to become permanent she did not want to live in this place of desolation. She really could not understand why the wizard continued to live in a place that decayed around him.

Over one of their conversations, as they shared tea upon the porch, Severus had told her how the shutting down of the factory - an assembly line for workers boots and nurses shoes - had affected the once very busy neighbourhood of Spinner's End.

Once a place of affluence, the house at the end of the cul-de-sac, the Snapes home, held a position of being the most luxurious of all the surrounding homes. Unusual for the times, but Tobias Snape, if not a good father, had once been a practical and frugal man. Instead of settling his new wife under a mortgage he had bought the over-large house that dominated the cul-de-sac of Spinner's End.

Eileen, in those happier days, did not mind when Tobias indulged in 'men's night out' with other men who worked at the factory with him, and had families at Spinner's End. Eileen would brew her potions, often with Severus at her side, inquisitive, thoughtful, careful, and very helpful. There were potions for home, the basics - Burn Paste, Allergy Tincture, Pepper-Up, Sweet Dreams (a derivative of Dreamless Sleep for home use that had dosing for adults and children), Eileen's own blend of Witch Hazel, Antiseptic Paste for minor cuts, and Throat Pops - another invention of Eileen's that was a lollipop of fruit syrup and herbs to soothe sore throats and mild coughs. The other potions were for their Muggle neighbours and utilised Eileen's extensive knowledge of Herbology; something she also taught to her son.

Tobias, meanwhile, was a foreman at the factory. He oversaw the Quality Inspection Department that made sure that all shoes and boots assembled at the factory were up to the standards expected by the corporate office. He was well liked by those men and a few women he considered his team of quality checkers, and they often socialised. In addition to his men's night out there was at least once a month barbecues attended to by all in the neighbourhood.

The close of the factory came when the company was acquired by a bigger company somewhere in Canada. It had come as a shock to most of the residents of Spinner's End; those that had come with the prosperity promised by working at the factory. They were forced to leave their homes as they could not afford the high mortgages any longer.

Tobias was pleased at his forethought in buying the house at Spinner's End, but he still had a family to support, and though he did try hard early on it was a depression and jobs were scarce to come by. Eileen earned money from the potions she sold to Muggles out of a small shop in the town, but that was barely enough to purchase groceries, new clothes for the fast growing Severus, and those ingredients for potions that could not be easily gathered.

It seemed it was not long before Tobias gave up hunting for a full-time job and settled for odds and ends work - mundane things like landscaping, mowing lawns, weeding gardens, sometimes construction that took him away for weeks at a time. It was all back-breaking work for a pittance that tired him out, and this added to his temper, and led to his drinking.

Severus had not gone any further into his family's travails, then, but told Hermione that nearly two-thirds of the neighbourhood was empty by the time he was six years of age. There were no children to play with as those residents who remained either had retired to their homes, or were couples that had seen their children off to university.

There was a park, that had once swelled with children but was now virtually empty. The park was behind his own house and Severus did admit to spending hours in and around the park entertaining himself as he gathered potion ingredients for his mother.

As local government tax money used to maintain streets and pavements, beautification, and so on, dwindled, Spinner's End began to decay slowly. Hoodlums came to the street at night to break windows in the empty houses, to sleep in them, to get high on their street drugs. Tobias got into shouting matches with the gangs, and Severus, who had his first manifestation of accidental magic, helped his mother with the very last piece of magic she ever performed: a simple ward to keep the unsavoury from vandalising their home.

Eileen was unable to make anymore potions to sell since Tobias no longer wanted to take "house money" to pay for "frivolities". Of course, that edict did not extend to his father's drink, and there were too many times Severus went without a meal because there was only beer to be had in the kitchen. It was around this time that the abuse from his father had begun. The wizard had not revealed this fact to Hermione until much later in their friendship.

Since the old street had more to it than the pavement, Hermione walked with her daughter up and down the old tarmac as they each examined their new home. Rose crouched down a few times to observe beetles that were rushing home to a warm burrow for the coming winter. Just as Hermione was going to suggest a more productive trip to Diagon Alley, a voice called to them.

"Hello. I just had to come over and introduce myself. I'm Dorothea Gale. Everyone calls me Dotty." Dotty was probably in her 60s with mostly greying hair, but some strands of amber were still showing in wisps from the heavy braid down her back. Her eyes were brown, welcoming, kind, and open. Her face had some wrinkles to reflect her age, and there were faint age spots on the backs of her hands, but she had the look of a woman who enjoyed being outside. Her clothing was a comfortable pair of denim overalls stained with dirt, a plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a pair of comfortable looking trainers.

"Hermione Granger," Hermione smiled. Dotty stuck out her hand and Hermione took the hand and found the woman's grasp to be firm, even strong. Not at all hesitant. "This is my daughter, Rose."

Rose's hand swiftly entwined with her mother's fingers and she leaned against her mother's thigh. "Hi," said Rose quietly.

"Do you live here?" asked Hermione as she peered around at the remains of houses in a search for where Dotty might have come from.

Dotty pointed. "See that withered old thing that's just waitin' on a good wind to knock 'er down?"

Hermione did see the greying visage of a tall, narrow Victorian nearly opposite to Severus' home. It was at the beginning of the street Spinner's End. The paint had long since chipped away, the trim was damaged from weather in many places, and the yard was covered with the detritus that all the emptied lots bore. Yet, as Hermione studied the old derelict she could see that it had had beauty in its prime to possibly shine against the Snapes home when it, too, had been at its zenith.

"You live there?!" gasped the witch with wonder.

Dotty chuckled. "Yep. Bit of a ramble for me some days, but it's still home and Severus comes by regular like for tea and my almond biscuits." Dotty smiled down at Rose for a moment before looking back up at Hermione. "Movin' in to our little paradise, are you?" asked Dotty.

"We're… uh…" she glanced back over her shoulder at Severus' house, not really sure what to say to anyone about her new relationship with the Potions Master.

Rose supplied the answer. "We're living with Severus who likes my mummy."

Hermione groaned very softly and her cheeks coloured to scarlet. Dotty chuckled. Hermione stammered, "It's not… well, Rose and I recently became homeless, and Severus… he's a good friend… and… uhm…"

Dotty laughed and patted Hermione's hand. "Oh don't get all flustered, girl! I've seen ye having tea a time or two with Severus and you don't have to get all squirrelly with me. I lived with my Beauchamps for three years before we married." She winked. "I can tell you that back then, living as we did, wasn't looked upon kindly." Dotty leaned a bit closer, and her voice lowered. "You be good to Severus an' I won't have a problem with you. Now, come along and have some tea with me." Linking her arm over Hermione's, and with Rose trailing behind with her curiosity wakened, they made their way to the large, old home.

Dorothea "Dotty" Gale, once married to Beauchamps Chevalier of Lourdes, France, was a very down to earth Muggle woman. She and Beauchamps, also known as Beau, were old to the neighbourhood of Spinner's End when it was 'brand spanking new'. They were a stubborn couple who would not give up the old Victorian at what was considered the entrance to Spinner's End.

Beau had money from his parents in Lourdes, but at heart he was a truck driver and so he was often away from home, a situation that suited Dotty. She had begun a nursery out of her home and remembered Eileen and her little boy came over often to help with the gardening.

"Severus," she laughed and then gave Hermione a mock hard look. "Never Sev or Sevvy, you mind. From the first day we met he hated nicknames."

"What was he like as a child, Dotty?" asked Hermione.

They had stopped at a thin creek that babbled along behind Dotty's large Victorian, not far from her decayinging glass greenhouse. Rose was seated on the bank watching the water and staring avidly at the smooth pebbles.

"Ohhhh, Severus was a deep little boy. Not really a mama's sort of boy, though. He liked his mother because her talents and her intelligence fascinated him. He always carried a book, a pen, and a small notebook with him. I'll admit I was annoyed with his constant dry notes and so I had him sketching the growing plants for me. Took to drawing rather well. That, and climbing." Dotty broke into a storm of laughter as Hermione looked at her curiously.

"Climbing?" She tried to imagine Severus climbing trees in his dragon-hide boots, teaching robes, and his long hair, and could not see it. She giggled.

"Yep. Climbing. Regular little monkey that one was with his skinny legs and arms. I think he managed to scale every tree on our street. Of course, once up he tended not to want to come down." Dotty sighed and smiled. "I expect that the world seen from the height and branches of a tree must be a wondrous thing for a child."

Hermione nodded. She remembered the tall tree in her family's backyard that she had climbed as a child. "It was freedom," she sighed.

"Severus has a big, huge oak tree that I want to climb," interrupted Rose.

Dotty clapped her hands together as her eyes widened, "You mean Merlin, Rose!"

Rose tore her attention from the pebbles in the creek to turn her head to look up at Dotty in confusion. "Is there a wizard in the tree?"

Hermione tightened just barely visibly. She hoped Rose wasn't going to reveal what Severus was; a wizard.

Dotty shook her head and hunkered easily down by the girl. "Noooo, there's nobody in the tree, Rose. Severus named the tree Merlin when he was 'bout your age. That oak has the honour of being the oldest resident in all of Spinner's End. Fine old thing managed to stay put as houses grew up and died around him."

"Why Merlin?" asked Rose.

"I asked him the same thing, once. Severus told me there was an odd looking knot surrounded by the base of the heaviest limbs. It was old, dark and wrinkled that he said had the face of Merlin. I went to take a look, a good hard look once, an' I have to say that knot does have a kindly look to it. Long hair and beard, big thin nose, big eyes. Pretty."

Rose stood quickly and Dotty followed. "Mum, I want to go see the wizard. Can we?"

Hermione smiled and shrugged. Truth was, she was a bit curious to see what the old oak held secret.

The cul-de-sac, also known as Spinner's End, was not a true cul-de-sac - _a circle of homes within an enclosed street_. It was a single, long street that had long ago been cut off at either end. The Snape home occupied the largest of all the original lots and was a three-story brick constructed home that could almost qualify as a manor-style home. On either side were homes that Dotty revealed had once had their own individuality. Something lost with today's modular homes, and such.

On the closing of the factory, which loomed far back and to the right of Severus' home, Dotty's end of the street had simply been chopped off from the main thoroughfare. It had made life difficult for families leaving whose trucks, cars, and moving vans, had to follow the remains of a twisted, single lane road of now pitted tarmac.

So, it was not a great distance back to Severus' home to see the great, old oak tree.

The huge tree, and it really was impressive, took up nearly the entire right corner of the property and straddled the fence that separated Severus' home from the entire street. The tree also served to nearly block out the sight of the front portion of the factory and the fence that had been erected long ago to separate the property from Spinner's End.

With the coming of Winter the oaks branches were letting go of hundreds of fiery leaves. Dotty ducked under one heavy and low branch to lead her two new friends to the side of the tree that faced the corner of the house. There, just at the base where all the limbs began to form and writhe outward and up into the sky, was the big old knot. Hermione gasped. The knot was not a simple and coincidental confluence of whorls of the tree's age showing where once there had been a huge limb severed. It resembled more a deliberate carving of the face of a benign looking man with long hair, and beard. He did have a large and thin nose, and wide open, trustworthy eyes. And, Hermione could feel a thin thread of magic that obscured the carving in such a way that to a Muggle it would look simply natural. Only a witch or wizard could see the true face that peered like a guardian over the Snape family home.

Dotty waved farewell suddenly with a smile and an invitation to tea. Hermione studied the face in the tree and felt a little sad that her daughter could not see its true beauty.

_However…_

"Merlin's real, Mum," Rose breathed with wonder as her fingers stroked the wood-satin cheek. The carving seemed to almost wink at the child.

Hermione gaped in shock. How could Rose see through the obscuring magic?!


	40. Chapter 40 The English Oak

_**The Bedtime Story**_

Hermione felt a bit in a daze as she wandered into Severus' home. Rose, who had had a wonderful day with her mother exploring and having tea with Dotty Gale, was unaware that anything was strange. The little girl skipped into the living room and stopped when she saw the exhausted wizard, clad still in his Muggle clothing, asleep in his large, leather chair, with his legs stretched out in front of the fire. He snored gently. Rose started to go over to the wizard to wake him, but Hermione came out of her daze just enough to stop her daughter.

"Never wake a sleeping Snape," she warned. The old warning had come from Fred and George Weasley back when she had been a first year at Hogwarts. Thankfully no student had ever caught their teacher asleep. One could never be too careful, though.

Rose leaned her head back against her mother's stomach and looked up at her. "What's that mean, mum?"

Hermione shrugged, and chuckled softly. "Just a silly thing from school. Anyway, you shouldn't wake up sleeping people. It can be too surprising." The witch did not mention that she believed a man who had once been such a warrior for the Light might just have reflexes that could get them both hurt!

"I just wanted to ask him about Merlin," Rose hissed in a terrible stage whisper.

"Not now, Rosie," admonished Hermione while slipping her palm slightly over her child's mouth in emphasis of being quieter. Hermione spoke again as her curiosity overcame her. "You saw Merlin? In the tree?"

Rose huffed. "Course I did, Mum!"

"But you don't... you're a..." Hermione stopped herself from pointing out that Rose did not have magic, and was a Squib.

"Rose is a Squib, Hermione," The sleeping Potions Master drawled, without moving or opening his eyes, "Squibs have magic. Thus, Rose can see Merlin in my tree."

"You're awake," glowered Hermione as one dark eye was revealed and sparkled at her.

"I have been since the moment you both tripped through the door." Both eyes opened and Severus sat up. Rose smiled at Severus and her smirked benignly at her.

"Rose, go to your room, please? I need to speak to Severus." Rose nodded and thumped quickly up the stairs to her room. "Don't run!"

"Course, Mummy!" Rose's voice faded from up the stairs as she vanished into her room.

Severus started to chuckle but stopped when Hermione glared at him. "Severus! I _really_ try not to say "squib" around Rose!"

"So, you are ashamed of your daughter?" he asked bluntly.

"What?" Hermione's slight anger went suddenly pear-shaped as she did not expect what Severus just asked of her. "Of course I'm not ashamed of my daughter! How terrible of you to say that!"

"By not saying 'squib' in front of your child you are teaching her to be ashamed of the word, and ashamed of what she is," he explained.

Hermione became indignant. "I certainly am not! I just don't think she should always be reminded that she's not magic, that's all."

"Do you feel that your daughter is lacking something since she is 'not magic', Hermione?"

Hermione stared at the man still calmly seated in his chair. She did not know whether to slap him, or to keep listening to him. "Severus, I'm not..." She stopped herself, and thought for a moment. Hermione thought of all those times she had told Rose to not call herself a Squib, to not broadcast the fact that she did not have magic. Feeling awful as she realised what she had done was tantamount to Ron not acknowledging his own daughter because she was a Squib, she sank down upon the adjacent sofa. "Ohhhh dear... oh no. I've been just like Ron!"

Severus stood then, and then went to sit beside Hermione. "Rose is a Squib, Hermione. That does not mean she is without magic. It just means that her magic is such a small spark that there is not enough of it to wield as we do." He slipped an arm over her shoulders and Hermione leaned in to his side. "A Squib can see things that magic usually hides from Muggles. Hogwarts, a house, a face in a tree. You already know that the line of paediatric potions work better on Rose than do Muggle pills and syrups, do you not?"

Hermione nodded. When it was learned that Rose was definitely a Squib, she tried Muggle medicines only to find they did not work.

"Does_ anyone_ know how to raise a Squib in the magical world?" asked Hermione with a slight huff of frustration.

Severus leaned back, drawing Hermione with him. "There has never really been any studies done, unfortunately. It has only been in the last decade that Squibs have been openly raised within their families, and not hidden away as they once were." His lips thinned in disapproval. "There really is no telling what these children will be like growing up. If they will have something special that no other child has."

"That's terrible," sighed Hermione.

"It is. However, you can do right by Rose by not treating the fact that she is a Squib as some sort of aberration. And, do not let her think she is completely without magic because she is not. She simply has less."

As Severus kissed his dear lover, a small person was up on the landing of the stairs between the first and second floors of the house, listening. Rose, her legs pushed through the railings and dangling, pressed her face to the two railings she held with her hands. She smiled, happily, smugly, and in possession of a secret neither of the adults down on the sofa knew that she knew: she was a Squib, but she had magic!

* * *

Hermione tucked Rose into her bed with both her floppy rabbits in her arms. Her mother leaned forward, and kissed her cheek.

"Are you ready for Severus' story, my girl?" asked Hermione softly.

Rose nodded, then glanced at the tall shadow of the wizard,_ her wizard_, as his frame nearly took up the entire frame of the doorway. He was backlit by the light from the hall and thus she could not see the satisfied smirk dancing upon his lips.

Hermione looked up. "She's all yours, Severus."

The two adults traded places, sort of. Hermione went to sit in a rocking chair near the foot of her daughter's bed, and Severus sat down on the edge of Rose's bed. One child-like hand snaked out from under the covers and clutched his right hand.

"What is my story, Severus?" asked Rose politely.

"A true story," Severus replied softly. "The story of how the English Oak of Britain became the home of Merlin."

Rose's eyes widened, and Severus smirked when he caught Hermione slipping forward in her chair to hear the story she was certain she'd never heard before.

Severus began in a soft tone that drew Hermione off her chair to sit Indian-style upon the end of Rose's bed. Rose snuggled deeper into her bedding as the wizard smoothed it and spoke.

"Back in the day when the life of Merlin was waning, war was on the horizon. Merlin knew that he would not survive to see that war, but Arthur, a man nearing his middle ages, would oft come to the venerable wizard as the small boy he had once been." Severus' voice dropped to a sad note. "Even though he had fought in countless scourges, the king was afraid. Night after night, as his queen slept in bliss, Arthur would sit at the knee of his wizard and silently beg the man to be there at the deciding battle with him."

_"You know that I cannot, Wart," sighed the old man._

Rose's mouth turned into a silent "o" as the voice of Merlin seemed to sink heavily all around her room and the voice did not sound like her Severus.

_A mournful weeping slipped through the room like a gentle breeze._

"Merlin was terribly sad for becoming an old man," sighed Severus gently. "No one could ever know, but he, too, was afraid for his dear, young Wart, the king, Arthur. So, very late one night, after the young king had left his rooms, Merlin stepped out into the hoary night. He walked, and he walked..." Severus paused and both Hermione and Rose drew their breaths in slowly. "And he walked. Forever, one might think, yet it was not. Into his path there appeared one of the oldest, most twisted oaks he had ever seen in Britain. Its head and its roots and its limb twined about in such a way that there was a perfect place for the elderly wizard to sit down and to lay his head back.

_Merlin's voice, filled with great weariness, settled about the small bedroom, "Such bliss... if I could... if only..."_

Severus gently interjected, "The very old wizard allowed his ancient head to fall into his hands."

_Another voice, this one bell-like and gentle as a caress to a cheek, brushed over them. "Merlin, why do you weep?"_

_"Lady Nimue' you have come to me?" asked Merlin interrupting his tears._

"Lady of the Lake, the Queen of the Lost Isle," intoned Severus. "She was ghost, yet not, spirit, yet not – a sorceress was she - of immortal power."

_Nimue's voice drifted to each of them, "Your heart cried out to me, Merlin. You weep for your king and you weep because you have nothing left for him."_

_"He is so afraid, my Lady," whispered Merlin with anguish. "I cannot spare him myself for I know my death is terribly near. And, I have seen in my memories that this is the battle he shall not win. I do not know what I can do for him, and so my heart aches for the little boy that is still within him."_

Severus picked up the story. "The Lady Nimue' brushed her fingers over the old wizard's worried brow..." He lightly brushed Rose's curls from her forehead.

_"Sleep, my dear Merlin. Do not fret any longer," Nimue' crooned._

The room swelled with Nimue's voice as it chanted in words far too old for anyone to remember. Over her chanting, Severus spoke, "With a kiss to the brow of the old wizard, the sorceress wove her spells. They were of the gentle night, the gossamer threads of dreams, the whispers of all whom the young king – men, women, and children – he had saved. And Merlin closed his heavy eyes and slept and dreamed and as he did so he sank into the arms of the old oak.

"Morning came with the songbird and the old wizard found himself waking. He felt very strange – old, yet young forevermore. Upon that same wind that brought the rays of the sun, battle surged all around the old wizard."

_From beneath her bed until it was all around the three were the sounds of clashing swords, the thunder of feet and hooves, the yelling and screams of battle._

Rose clung tightly to Elly and Babbity while Hermione grasped onto Severus' arm. He smirked to himself and continued.

"As in all war, there was a victor but it was not the king. Arthur was struck down by the treachery and hatred of his near-son, Mordred. Arthur fell and was caught by the arms of a nearby oak. As Mordred tried to near the man he so hated that he went to war with him, Arthur's knights circled around the fallen king and the tree.

_"Go!" ordered the thunderous voice of the tree. The voice of an angry Merlin that thrummed all around Rose, Hermione, and Severus. "Or stay and welcome your death, Mordred!"_

"The knights did not understand, and Arthur was so close to death, he knew not where he was," came Severus' gentle voice. "What he was sure of was that he now lay in the arms of Merlin, who had not abandoned him. Merlin kissed the fevered forehead of his boy and Arthur closed his eyes, welcoming the twilight."

_"Come with me, Arthur," came the gentle voice of a bell chiming on water. "It is I, your Lady of the Lake. I shall take you where your sleep is eternal while Merlin watches over all of England for you."_

Severus' voice swelled, but never seemed to rise above its intimate tones as it caressed and soothed Rose, "Arthur's spirit stood from the tree and Merlin smiled gently as he saw the last of young Wart. The king would sleep upon the Isle of Avalon, guarded by the Queen and her ladies. Merlin, forever young and forever old, would reside within the great old oak to watch over England."

Severus leaned forward and kissed Rose's brow. "And that, my dear girl, is the story of the English Oak and why it has always appeared, in its age, to have the face of Merlin within it." The wizard's voice dropped and he whispered secretively, "However, only those with magic know that Merlin is real."

"He is! He truly is, Severus!" breathed Rose.

"Am I completely forgiven, my little Rose?" asked Severus.

"Oh yes, Severus. I love you so much and I am so sorry I didn't understand how mixed up your mind was!" Rose sat up, threw her arms about his neck, and kissed his cheek. She then dropped happily back to the bed and he tucked her beneath her blankets.

Hermione left the bed, stretching, then moved to kiss her daughter. "Goodnight, Rosie Athene."

"Goodnight, Rose," Severus said softly, his voice caressing the child.

Severus and Hermione went to the door of the girl's bedroom where they were now only silhouettes as the light from the hallway shone behind them. Severus slowly closed the door and Rose slept with lovely dreams of Arthur, his knights, the Lady of the Lake and Merlin overseeing all within the trees of the infamous English Oak.

_**A/N: My apologies for taking liberty with the Arthurian story of Nimue and Merlin. However, the legend of the English Oak is that Merlin's face truly can be seen within the twists and gnarls of the bark.**_

_**A request: I need a new title for this story. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thank you ~etherian**_


	41. Chapter 41 Vienna

_**Vienna**_

Severus had been rather militaristic as he sent his family about packing and gathering anything that was forgotten. He never mentioned that he had checked his books three times, experimental samples six times, and had re-packed everything a second time. Even so, by eight am sharp Spinner's End was left behind as Severus Side-Along Apparated everyone to the Portkey Station located deep beneath the city of London.

The Portkey Station, number 302a, was a busy place for commuting businessmen that worked beyond the Ministry, or families travelling. It never seemed to not be busy and Severus had griped between gritted teeth on more than one occasion that the place simply was not big enough to handle the crowds that came through.

Hermione kept a near strangle-hold on Severus' left arm as she had begun to feel panicky amongst the hordes of witches and wizards. Severus held tight to Rose's hand since she kept wanting to let go and explore.

"Over here," Severus directed them towards a bench where they could sit and wait. Even arriving early he had just been informed that for 'families travelling' there would be a half hour wait.

Hermione sat down, and lowered her head. Severus tugged Rose to his side and glared in warning at her. She pouted, but sat. Severus looked down in concern at Hermione.

"What is wrong?" he asked softly.

Hermione looked up, but her eyelids fluttered with an excess of nerves. "The people... I didn't expect this..." She dropped her head down in the crook of his elbow.

Severus' lips thinned, but he had the solution. Letting go of Rose's hand for just a moment, he rummaged in his inner pocket for a small, clay phial. "Here. Drink all of it," he instructed holding the potion under Hermione's nose.

Hermione's heart was doing such an erratic timpani between her ribs that she did not bother to ask what the potion was. She just downed it quickly and let out a relieved breath as the effects blossomed warmly in her.

"Calming Potion?" she asked. He nodded. "Why did it taste like bubble-gum?"

"Children's formula," he said simply. "I have been experimenting with flavours for common paediatric potions. I brought it for Rose. I did not expect you to have needed it." He smirked gently down into her soft hazel eyes.

Hermione smiled, "Neither did I. I guess I am not as ready for seeing so many people at once..." Hermione's head swivelled around worriedly. "Where's Rose?" Her spine stiffened in alarm.

"She is right..." Severus looked to his right. Rose was gone. When he had let go she had slipped away. The wizard glared darkly. "Does the child do this often?"

"I'm afraid so, Severus. She's just curious."

Severus stood. "Stay here. I shall find the little explorer." Removing his wand Hermione watched as he cast an elementary tracking spell. He smiled as the wand spun in the palm of his hand and then pointed.

"A tracking spell?" Hermione questioned.

"I have used them to some success with the Potter twins when I have taken them to the park recently. Luna's suggestion," he quickly explained. "I thought it might be a good idea to try with Rose, and so it seems I may have thought wisely. Stay here, my dear."

Hermione nodded as she watched her wizard in black disappear into the milling throng of families and business-wizards and witches. She had no intention of moving from where she sat.

Rose had slipped from the bench the second she had her chance. She'd never been to a portkey station and it had so many interesting things to look at. There were kiosks filled with little pamphlets with pictures of resorts, hotels, islands, and things to eat. She had no idea that most of the pamphlets had never been touched. Still, they were pretty. She was also unaware that the pastries she saw were more than likely stale and were definitely high priced.

There was also a merchant's kiosk in the centre of the station that was selling all sorts of shiny danglies, pretty things that sparkled. Rose was drawn to all of it like a fly to the centre of a spider's web.

She was just stretching out a hand at the merchant's kiosk to look at a pendent of silver wire twisted over an opal when her hand was caught by a familiar cool hand with callouses on it.

"Miss Granger!"

Rose slumped. She was caught. With a sigh she was about to attempt an explanation when the merchant caught Severus' attention by waving a copper bracelet in his face.

"Made from genuine knuts, sir! Copper for the daughter, eh?" asked the man who had an impossibly ornate moustache under his nose.

Rose saw the bracelet and her eyes sparkled with crow-like desire. Severus frowned so severely at the merchant that he dropped the bracelet. "My... daughter... has everything that she needs." He then glanced down at the girl who held onto his hand. "Come along, Rose. Your mother is waiting."

Rose's mouth dropped open. Her Severus did not deny that she was his daughter! _His daughter!_ She felt frozen until Severus tugged her arm slightly. She tripped to catch up, yanked her hand from his, and practically jumped in front of the man. Severus abruptly stopped (as his way was blocked) looking down at Rose and her huge grin.

"He said I was your daughter!"

With a sigh, Severus grasped Rose's hand again and this time she skipped at his side. "I suppose you _will_ be my daughter... _someday_... so it seems a waste of time to correct those not in the know."

"Rosie Athene Snape," she whispered, to herself she thought. Severus could hear the child and his heart seemed to swell to three times its normal size. Rose grinned up at him then saw her mother.

"Mummy!" Rose broke away from Severus and ran to her mother who quickly hugged her.

Severus sat down beside his two ladies, consulted his Muggle chronograph, and was disappointed that there were still fifteen minutes to go in their wait. He pretended not to listen as Rose regaled her mother with her small adventure and proudly proclaiming that the merchant thought she was Severus' daughter. The only acknowledgement he did give the very pleasant thought was a slight, satisfied smirk when Hermione leaned against his side.

SS~SS~SS~SS

From London to Frankfurt to Vienna. Two trips via portkey. It would seem a mere hop, skip, and a jump but portkey travel was draining to the magical core of a witch or wizard. The first portkey to Frankfurt had Rose slumbering in Severus' embrace as he carried her. The second trip to a portkey station in Vienna had both Severus and Hermione sitting gratefully on a park bench ready to join Rose in sleep.

"There you are, my friends!"

The familiar, boisterous voice of Arsenius Jigger had Severus quickly gathering his wits and his strength and snapping to attention. Hermione relieved him of Rose and he was able to stand and greet his old friend and teacher.

Arsenius Jigger, no need for a disguise this time, was a well-fitted man in a tailored, Edwardian suit of a black satin waistcoat, equally black trousers, and a dark blue velvet coat. Rakishly over one shoulder was a knee length cape of dark blue wool and velvet lined with dark blue silk. His hair was white, neatly trimmed to his collar with its own wealth of curls. He smiled showing slightly yellow, slightly uneven teeth.

Arsenius spread out his arms, grinned, and said, "Welcome to Die Alte Welt!" He embraced Severus and thumped his back with one of his hands. Arsenius smiled and walked over to Hermione and dropped a friendly kiss to her cheek. "The Old World of Vienna's wizarding community which is located beneath the shadow of St. Stephen's grand spires." Arsenius pointed towards the spires of the grand old church built in the 12th Century. "We will descend a set of stairs that appear to lead to the Catacombs beneath the church, but a slight detour will take us instead to the heart of Die Unterwelt!"

Severus scowled at the older man. "Speak the King's English, Arsenius," he chided. "You are as German as a hop-toad."

Arsenius smiled at his old friend. He then shot a glance at Hermione. Placing his cupped hand to his mouth he stage-whispered, "The Underworld." He then chuckled at Hermione's wide-eyed gaze. "Our Austrian counterparts were a bit grim, but trust me, Unterwelt is hardly like Hades dark vision. Come along!"

Arsenius led them to the cathedral and to a narrow door that led to the catacombs beneath the church. Hermione expected to see sights of old bones fallen from rotted caskets upon rocky ground, but the "top" floor of the catacombs had become a kind of museum with little posters, old photographs, and a map. This was all ignored by Arsenius who showed them to what appeared to be a simple, neglected niche in the wall.

"Like Platform 9 and three-quarters," he said softly showing how his hand and part of his forearm disappeared into the wall. Hermione stretched out her hand and felt the tingling, dancing wave of several wards over her skin. "Those wards are so old, so powerful that the name of the wizard that created them and put them here is forgotten." Arsenius gave them a toothsome smile. "Quite strong and healthy, though. Shall we?"

Leading the way, Arsenius vanished into the niche and through the wall. Hermione with Rose in her arms was next, and Severus was right behind her.

SS ~ SS ~ SS

The wizarding equivalent to Diagon Alley in Vienna, the Unterwelt, had more of an Old World taste to it than Diagon Alley boasted. The shops were all of oak timber with living quarters perched above the storefronts. Pedallers in the street hawked various foods, so-called 'charms of protection', magic tricks, and toys.

Arsenius warned the travellers away from the food pedallers, exhorting that it was better to visit the cafes or restaurants.

Rose had been awakened by Hermione in order to see the sights and she held onto the hands of both her mother and Severus as they made their way up the street.

At the, literally, top of the street, the cobbles became a wide, yet short staircase that led to a street above the first one. The main street, known locally as 'Unterwelt Kreuzung' the Crossroads of Underworld. Arsenius explained that the main street was the meeting place of all the roads that branched outward from the Kreuzung.

Their destination was the upper street which had more of a business flare to it with buildings made of granite and marble. However, there were older, many storied buildings (many whose windows spilled forth with late Autumn flowers) and villas hidden behind high iron or wooden fences. Near the centre of this street, known as 'Unterwelt Vienna' was a magnificent structure of snow white marble with six columns of highly polished marble that declared itself the Viennese branch of Gringotts. It was to this great old bank that they first visited.

Gringotts, as it was also known as, towered over all neighbouring shops. Customers were constantly passing through a set of bronze doors and then silver ones before entering the lobby. The main floor was paved with marble of black and white tile and long counters stretched along its length.

A goblin bank manager met Arsenius and Rose watched with wondering eyes as the goblin and wizard spoke together in flawless Gobblygook. The goblin wore thin silver wire glasses perched on its long, hooked nose, and crimson robes to denote its status above the other goblins that were seated at desks crouched over parchments with quills in hand.

The splendid bank manager led them to the front of the bank where he had a terse exchange with another goblin. Their language was as harsh as they were fearsome looking and Rose had retreated behind Severus' travelling cloak. She peeked out now and then but kept herself hidden.

Severus had lightly dropped his hand upon the crown of Rose's head to let her know she was safe. With the touch Rose did feel a little safer, but just in case her fingers wrapped tighter with those of her mum's.

Once the banking was taken care of Arsenius led them up another set of wide steps onto another street. This one was nowhere near as busy as the others and was dominated by one tall and wide building of ornate granite surrounded by a gilded iron fence. The intricate gates, ten feet in height, had a scrollwork design around the depiction of a rune that appeared very familiar to both Hermione and Severus.

Hermione clutched Severus' sleeve and gasped in a hushed voice, "It's Harry's scar!" Severus looked a touch white around the gills as he stared at the rune.

Arsenius chuckled. "Calm, my friends. That is the glyph of the family that once owned this grand mansion. I will admit that the rune does resemble our young hero's scar but it is 'Sowelu' the rune of the Sun. The family that owned this manse was "Solsitzen" – 'the victors over the sun'." He tapped one side of the tall, iron gate with his wand and it ponderously swung open. "This is also now a fine hotel and is the headquarters of the conference." The older man brushed through the gate and then waved to the unmoving witch and wizard. "Come along, Severus! Time to get your room and get settled so you'll be ready for your speech tomorrow."

Arsenius strode ahead of them and Severus, leading Hermione and Rose, stepped through the gate. After several steps the Potions Master halted so sharply and suddenly that Hermione and Rose collided with his back. Rose squeaked as she was squashed between the two adults.

"My speech... did he say... _tomorrow_?!"

_**A/N: Just so you know that since I am writing new chapters now they will be coming slower. Do leave a review and if there is any interaction or character you wish to see, let me know.**_


	42. Chapter 42 Severus Makes A Speech

**Chapter dedicated to Viola1701e who gave me the idea of the professor opening his speech with an "adjusted" first years Potions class speech.**

_**The Ballroom of Solsitzen Palace ~ I**_**_nternational Wizarding Council of Potioneers and Alchemists_**

Arsenius adjusted Severus' cravat for thousandth time and the Potions Master slapped his hands away. It seemed as though Hermione had fussed over him in their suite and now the old apothecary was fussing over him behind the grand stage where he would soon be before his peers: potion masters and mistresses, their apprentices, alchemists, apothecaries, suppliers of potions and instruments, and a few select reporters from major potion periodicals the world over.

Beyond the curtain that hid him there came the muted buzz of the _International Wizarding Council of Potioneers and Alchemists_ arriving, circulating, conversing, and then finally sitting down. Hermione, peeking through those curtains, gulped at the sight of nearly the entire elite Potions Guild sitting out in the audience. She could easily pick out those of the Guild for they all had the 'silver cauldron with the knob-ended stirrer' on their right collars. Their robes were nearly all black just like those of Severus'. There were a few much older potioneers that wore grey. She wanted to giggle, but he was so nervous, she dared not.

Finally, after what felt like centuries, Severus was introduced and nudged through the curtain by his old mentor. Without hesitation the wizard strode over to the podium at the centre of the stage, oblivious to the polite applause.

With a sharp and dark look, he glided away from the podium and stepped close to the edge of the stage. Wrapping his robes about himself, he began, "You are here to... _appreciate..._ the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. We, _of the art_, understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep... through human veins, bewitching... the mind, ensnaring the senses... We _know_ the secrets to bottling fame, brewing glory, and even stoppering death -

Yet," Severus paused dramatically and was pleased to discover that the entire ballroom was silent. Everyone was slightly leaning forward as if breathless for his next word. The corner of his mouth simply twitched before he clamped down upon it, and continued, "for all our laudable efforts and achievements we have overlooked a significant portion of our population."

A wondering buzz began through the audience.

"What is more," said Severus as his voice hardened like a waxed whip, "this is a deficiency that I have discovered is world-wide."

Severus let the buzz of speculation and half-protests grow with his thunderous declaration. He then lowered his voice and the audience hushed again.

"The lack that I speak of is to our children. Healing potions for our children are currently adult formulations in which even Healers admit to _guessing_ on the dosage."

He glanced down at his notes, then lifted his wand and scribed some glowing numbers into the air.

He spoke with a darkly depressive intonation, "Statistics from _St. Mungo's in Britain - 37 deaths, 45 adverse reactions that required hospitalization, and 3 irreversible comas. Saint Barnabas and Saint Nicolas in the Americas - 143 deaths, 235 adverse reactions that required hospitalization, 98 side-effects that caused a variety of permanent disabilities, and 32 magical children that became Squibs." _ To each set of numbers he continued to point with his wand in emphasis_. "Holywell Healing in Australia – 27 deaths, 242 side-effect induced disabilities, 18 irreversible comas. Saint Perenell Childrens Hospital in Africa - 439 recorded deaths with another 200 estimated amongst outer lying tribes." _More statistics filled the air to the Potions Master's right from major hospitals in Paris, South America, New Zealand, Greece, Russia, and Egypt. But, it was Africa whose statistics caused the room to buzz worriedly. "What this shows for each of these large magical medical institutions are the recorded side effects, injuries, and deaths of children between the ages of zero to sixteen in the last decade due to potions whose dosages were incorrectly calculated, or the potion used simply was not meant for a child but was used anyway."

Severus was quiet for a long moment as the audience spoke amongst themselves, reviewed the statistics he had researched, and the photographers with their reporters flashed their cameras.

After two minutes the numbers faded as a series of bottles, jars, tins, and phials appeared on a long table next to his podium. He turned slightly to view the potions.

"I have been working on formulations of basic healing potions for children. Many are potions that are familiar - such as Pepper-Up, Sun-Reflect Paste, Boil Cure, and Acne Fade, Congestion Relief, Minor Cut Plasters, Bruise Cream, Teething Tincture amongst many others that are of general use in a wizarding household. These have all had their adult formulae broken down to serve young children. Through my research and experimentation I have broken my potions into 'age sections' that begin with zero to five years of age, six to eleven years of age, and then twelve to sixteen years of age."

Severus moved away from his podium and began to pace behind the table of his potions.

"Studies were run through the Potions Research Department at St. Mungo's. Needless to say, their findings were extremely positive. To add to their results I would like to garner further research from the medical potions research departments of France, the Americas, Russia, and other places." He tapped the podium with his wand and a stack of reports appeared. "The reports of St. Mungo's departments tests will be available for review upon leaving the auditorium. I will now entertain any questions you might have." He bowed sharply, and then straightened.

Severus nodded to a venerable old Potions Master wearing robes of grey instead of black. The wizard cleared his throat and asked, "Master Snape, children are notorious for not taking potions unless they are tricked, or in some cases, a potion is mixed into food." The old wizard shrugged. "Rendering the potion useless, of course. Are your potions any easier for a child to take than when an adult takes their... usually foul tasting potion?"

Severus inclined his head to the older wizard. "My line of healing potions for children addresses that fundamental problem – taste. Most potions, the majority in fact, taste abysmal, as Master Herrick pointed out. We are adults and can deal with something that is not entirely palatable, but children are stubborn. Therefore, I have managed a way, with these particular formulae, to add flavours to the potions that are ingested."

The ballroom came apart at that slightly smug announcement. Severus went on to explain that the formulas created for his line of paediatric potions would be available to everyone. However, the secret to making the potions more palatable with flavours children would not object to, would remain his secret. This caused some minor grumbling, but potioneers and alchemists did understand that not all secrets were to be given away.

For the next hour Severus answered various questions about his potions, evaded sly questions to reveal his secret about flavours, and then he finally left the stage.

Going through the curtain he nearly collided with Hermione by nearly tripping over Arsenius who was picking something up off of the floor.

"What the devil...?"

Hermione shoved a stack of note sized parchments at him that he caught with his hands. Arsenius, now upright, was waving another bunch of notes beneath his nose. Hermione was grinning.

"Orders, Severus!" she blurted. She then snatched some of the orders from him. She read off several potions until she came to, "and a contract fulfilment request from St. Mungo's!"

Severus caught the witch as she threw herself into his arms and peppered his face with kisses. "Oh Severus! Our business is off the ground! We'll be set!"

Arsenius chuckled. "You really need that storefront, my boy."

"So it appears, Arsenius." He handed the notes he held to his friend and liberated Hermione of hers. He then tugged her close to his body, smirked at Arsenius and intimated, "Celebration, my friend. Good-bye." With a pop, he and Hermione were gone.

Over the next two days Severus was kept busy going to other lectures by potioneers introducing their own new advancements in potions, and continuing to answer questions about his forthcoming line of paediatric potions. He made connections with suppliers, apothecaries across the globe, and his own interest in Alchemy garnered him the attention of one of the most important Alchemists in the world – the Italian wizard Arturo Buonodetti who had been the last apprentice of the famous alchemist Nicolas Flamel.

As for Hermione, she did not feel left out of anything since she was kept busy gathering orders and contracts, and Letters of Interest in regards to the paediatric potions.

Rose was the one who felt left out and by the end of the second day after having been watched by a Nanny Elf that was hired through the Solsitzen Palace Hotel – she ran away.

For awhile, as she revelled in her freedom and the clement weather, Rose traipsed idly down the street levels until she reached the main level - 'Unterwelt Kreuzung' the Crossroads of Underworld - that hummed with witches and wizards going every which way and where, shops and shop doors with chimes ringing delicately as people went in and out, and stallmeisters "singing" about their wares to entice the passersby.

The street was filled with delicious smells of meat pies, roasted nuts, and... pastries! Letting her nose lead her, Rose found one corner stall holder hawking a variety of what appeared to be small, fried balls of dough decorated with sprinkles and frosting of all colours.

"Care, ein wenig süß, lovey versuchen?" asked the plump woman who had been singing a little tune about her pastries that blended with the singing of the other stallmeisters.

"I'm Rose from England," she introduced herself. She did not speak German and so had no idea what the woman was saying.

The woman produced a wand, tapped her throat, then spoke in perfect English. "Hello, Rose. How is this?"

Rose grinned. "That's neat! A Translation Spell!"

The woman chuckled. "Well, we do get visitors from all over the world. Now, would you care for a doughnut?"

Rose nodded. "I gotta see if I have enough, though. Mummy didn't want him to but Severus gave me some spending money for when we all go to the Festival on our last day."

Rose hurriedly rummaged through her little, beaded purse that was almost an exact replica of the old one her mother had. When she thought she had enough, she held out a handful of sickles. "Is this enough?"

The wizarding world, as a whole, kept to a gold standard of galleons, then silver knuts, and copper sickles. They did not have to deal with currency exchanges and so, what Rose had learned about wizard money at her mother's knee, applied even in Vienna.

The doughnut seller, an honest woman amongst shady vendors who would easily take advantage of a child's guile, picked out four sickles from Rose's hand, and pocketed the money. "That will get you a nice, even dozen in a bag."

Rose clapped her hands and watched with greedily avaricious eyes as she watched the vendor pick out twelve of the round doughnuts and drop them into a wax bag. As the vendor smiled and handed over the bag, thus began Rose's delightful day with the pastry vendors of Vienna.

* * *

_**A/N Please excuse my mash of German. I used the wizardry of a translator.**_


	43. Chapter 43 Caught!

Nearly two hours later after a dozen little donuts, six Petit Fours, a curious stick of chocolate and crisp rice, and several sorts of sweet drinks... Rose had gone through her bit of spending money and was now sitting down on a little park bench of patinaed wrought iron on the inside of a pretty little square of garden. She held her tummy in both hands, sighed heavily, and then gave to anyone catching a glimpse of her, the saddest face in the world.

Up at the Palace Inn Hermione and Severus had returned from another busy day at the conference. Both had met with prospective suppliers and distributors, and more orders had been made. It was a very productive day.

"...the St. Mungo's contract has given half a years payment in advance," Severus was saying as they entered their suite.

Hermione had been smiling as she walked beside the tall wizard, her hand tucked into his elbow. The moment she stepped over the threshold of their rooms, the smile vanished and she stepped suddenly away from Severus.

"...Diagon Alley is a busy place, but Hogsmeade, as a whole, has a much more stable business atmosphere," the wizard continued as he draped his outer robes over the back of the emerald green silk and white pine sofa. He then began to unbutton his frock coat in preparation of relaxing, having dinner before the fire, then taking his witch to bed. As he draped his frock coat over his robe and smoothed a hand over the shirt he wore he finally noticed that Hermione had not spoken in the last five minutes. He turned to look at her, and saw her nowhere.

"Hermione?" he called through their suite.

The witch in question stepped out of Rose's room and into their common room. Her face was etched with worry and puzzlement... and anger.

"That hotel elf let Rose go off on her own!" she growled.

"The elf did... where is Rose?" Severus demanded of Hermione, his own concern rising rapidly.

Hermione glared at him and shrugged. "I don't know! The elf just said that one minute Rose was there, and then she was gone." She thrust a piece of the hotel's linen stationary at him. "Rose left this note."

Severus glared down at the note while Hermione crossed her arms tightly over her chest in worried anger.

The note read, _Mum and Severus, I went out. Drippy knows it's all right with you. Love, Rose_.

Severus grit his teeth and let out a small growl of displeasure. "Drippy knows..."

Hermione added her own growl, muttering, "I thought that Nanny Elf was supposed to be a responsible elf and not let something like this happen."

"As did I." Severus tossed the note aside. "I can use a simple _Tracking Spell_ to locate your daughter if you have an item of her clothing, Hermione," began Severus.

"Hermione held up a small t-shirt. She had already thought of the _Tracking Spell_ and had grabbed the t-shirt as she left her and her daughter's room. Severus took the article of clothing, touched his wand to it, and then activated the Tracking Spell. In moments he felt the familiar tug of his wand drawing him towards wherever Rose was.

"We are off," announced Severus. He headed towards the door of their suite, Hermione opened it, and then were soon outside of the Palace Inn and traversing the three levels of streets they had originally travelled.

After an hour the sun was beginning to drift low in the sky. Streetlighters were using_ Illuminators_ to light the streetlamps. Some of the shops were closing; others turned on gay little fairy lights to announce to any passers-by that they were open late. The street vendors had all left before the sun began to settle and for that the streets seemed wider.

"Severus!" huffed Hermione. "What is taking so long?"

"The little rat is yours, Hermione. You tell me, where is that one hiding?" he retorted.

"My daughter is _not_ a _rat_, Severus Snape, and knowing the one rat that you and I knew I'll thank you not to compare Rose to such a beast." Hermione emphasised her point by thumping the wizard's chest with her index finger. "**Ever**."

Severus caught her finger and squeezed it. Not tightly but enough to show he was not appreciative of the witch's condescending gesture, and threat. His scowl relented and he bent slightly to kiss the offending finger-tip. "Rose is here, Hermione. In one of these shops but that is as close as I can pinpoint the Tracking Spell."

Hermione's lips thinned as she crossed her arms over her chest again. She then lifted her hazel eyes to those of the Potions Master. "Did you use that spell on the students at Hogwarts, Severus?"

He nodded. "When one of the blighters strayed beyond curfew I would sometimes be called upon to track down the missing miscreant."

"Was the _Tracking Spell_ the only thing you used?" She asked.

Severus gave Hermione an appraising look. She had that sparkle in her eyes that meant she had an idea. He smirked. "I would use a judiciously modified _Summoning Spell_. Which, as I am sure you know, is not to be used upon children."

Hermione smiled, her eyes glittered mischievously as she placed a hand upon Severus' forearm. "_Judiciously Modified?_ Does that mean you could use it safely upon a child."

Severus chuckled softly. "In a manner of speaking, Hermione. In other words I was never in danger of separating brain from cranium; the child would remain whole. However, depending upon where the child hid, I could not be held responsible for any bumps encountered along the way."

"Well, not that I'll allow this again, Severus, but just this once... so we don't have to search every shop, could you, perhaps, consider Summoning Rose with your judiciously modified spell?" Hermione smiled softly, as a doe might towards another, gentler species, but there was a gleam of wickedness in her eye that Severus was more knowledgeable of.

He bowed. "_ACCIO_ Rosie Athene Granger."

There was a bang, a sudden squawk of surprise, and words that no child ought to know filled the twilit air. Severus caught the wandering child. For a moment, Rose fought in his arms, then gave up as she lifted her head to look into his dark, angry eyes.

"Uh-oh." Rose imparted simply.

* * *

_**A/N: My apologies for the long time it took to get this posted but a week ago we had to put down our beloved fur-baby, Marcus, of 14 years. It was terribly hard to let him go, but that day he was having a tough time breathing and he simply could not get to his feet. It still hurts knowing he is gone and I keep thinking he's just around the corner, or asleep, but he isn't. As you might expect, I could not get in the proper mood to write this chapter. Finally, though, here it is.**_


	44. Chapter 44 Parenting the Runaway

_**A/N: Just to let ya'll know that this story has been re-titled - A Fine Romance.**_

* * *

"Uh-oh is correct, young lady," began Severus, his voice taut with mostly suppressed anger and a bit of frantic concern and... relief. "You are in trouble, Miss Rose..."

"Not that sorta uh-oh!" Interrupted Rose sharply.

Then, without further warning the candy, sweet drinks, and altogether too many sugars were vomited up from Rose's stomach and onto Severus' beautiful outer cloak.

Hermione gasped. A small and distant part of her was angry with her daughter for having gone off on her own, but more prominent was her shock at Rose emptying her stomach all over the usually fastidious Potions Master. She caught a bare grimace of disgust from the wizard but he did not let it remain as he caught Rose in the middle of a swaying wooziness, and lifted her.

With an awkward wave of his wand as he held Rose, now as limp as a marionette, against him, he Scourgified the mess. Then, he held her clasped tightly to his chest as Hermione stepped over and ran circles up and down the little girl's back.

"Severus," said Hermione briefly brushing the back of her hand along Rose's exposed arm. "Her skin is hot. Let's get her home, cleaned, and into bed."

With a nod of agreement, he and Hermione Apparated directly to their suite.

"I shall put her to bed, my dear," he said softly as his breath fluffed the delicate strawberry curls. "You will find a selection of phials with their bottoms having been coloured with 'rose-red' wax. Those are children formulations of my potions. Bring me the potions marked Stomach Soother, Calm the Senses, and the Nighttime Nutrition."

Hermione did not mind being _Step-n-Fetchit_ for the potions; at least it gave her a few moments to get her anger settled. She was annoyed with the hotel and its Nanny Elf but she was entirely mad at Rose. Rose had a terrible habit of wandering off on her own and causing trouble for herself. It reminded her a bit of Harry and how he used to hare off after danger when they were both at Hogwarts.

Finding Severus' black bag of potions in their bedroom she looked through the many phials to find a set that had been dipped in red wax to differentiate them from the adult potions. Severus' hand was a touch spidery for her to read initially, but just as it had taken her to get used to his writing when she was a student she soon was able to decipher the sharp chicken scratch.

She mumbled the name of each potion to herself, "Stomach Soother, Calm the Senses, Nighttime Nutrition..." Pocketing those she paused as her hand wavered over the others in the bag. She noted there were some phials that had been dipped in black wax and those both intrigued and worried her. Biting her lower lip, she picked up one. The potion within sparkled like glitter-tainted blood but there was no writing to give a clue what it might be. Putting that one back, she withdrew another. The faded blue, mat colour was familiar to Hermione - Dreamless Sleep Potion. However, as she shook it there was a definite stream of silvery milkiness coiling about that she had never seen in any version of Dreamless Sleep she knew of.

With a firm decision not to snoop further, Hermione closed the black bag and replaced it upon the wardrobe shelf. She then hurried from the bedroom to Rose's bedroom. She halted at the doorway as she watched Severus cleaning all of the last traces of the sick-up with the Scourgify charm. He also used a damp cloth upon her daughter's forehead and lips.

"You are a naughty child, Miss Rose," he berated, his voice a velvet drape of condemnation.

"But, I was bored," Rose replied.

"Ah," said the professor as if understanding some great mystery. "So, if a child is bored then the rules may be disobeyed in favour of that state of ennui."

Rose's brow wrinkled slightly. "You're not easy to understand, you know," she accused.

"Perhaps we ought to invest in a dictionary for you, Miss Rose, so that you might understand my capacious application of the English lexeme."

Rose huffed and turned away. "Show off!" she muttered under her breath.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Severus grasped her shoulder and pulled the child onto her back to face him. He was scowling and for once Rose understood some of her mother's stories about the "evil git of the Hogwarts dungeon". She pulled her quilt up to her nose as her eyes widened in attention. "Bored you may have been, my girl, but you lied to the Nanny elf and then disappeared without telling anyone where you were going."

"I wrote a note!" Rose protested.

Severus eyebrow rose in a daunting and silent declaration of his disbelief. "Hm, yes. The evidence in which you compound your crime of lying to the elf by revealing a lie to myself and your mother. Tell me, Miss Rose, did I not just this morning tell you that tomorrow was a day free of the convention in which we would explore magical Vienna?"

Rose sort of half shrugged her shoulders and ducked her chin under the hem of her blanket. "Maybe?" she said softly.

"I believe that after your day today you ought to stay here by yourself tomorrow while your mother and I enjoy the finer sights of Die Unterwelt."

"That's not fair!" griped Rose. She ducked back under her covers as Severus glared darkly at her.

"Severus," began Hermione as she stepped into her daughter's bedroom. "Perhaps tomorrow..."

The wizard turned his glare upon the witch and she faltered in her step. Severus spoke firmly, "If you do not object, Hermione, I do believe that Rose has had quite an adventure... _an illicit adventure_... and does not deserve a day with us tomorrow." He shrugged and smirked mildly. "If I were able to give her a proper detention..."

"Oh, Severus!" Hermione relaxed at his jest and smiled as she gave him the potions he requested. "Could I suggest a compromise?" Severus nodded and Rose propped herself on her elbows to hear what her mother's punishment was. "Allow Rose to come with us, but assign her an essay on everything she sees and does tomorrow."

Rose's jaw dropped. Severus nodded, considering the punishment. "It has merit, my dear. However, I do not think either of us should be beset with the task of grading an essay." His eyebrow rose slightly as he handed Rose one of the potions. "Two swallows," he instructed quietly. "More a punishment for us than for the disobedient."

Rose took two swallows of the Stomach Soother and then handed it back to the Potions Master. They traded potions phials. She now had the Nighttime Nutrition potion. "All of it," instructed Severus."

Rose grimaced. She had expected a potion that tasted good. Like bubblegum. "That tastes like cricket pee!"

"Rose!" gasped Hermione.

Severus smoothly took the phial. "You have experience with cricket urine, Miss Rose." She shook her head vehemently. "Then do not complain." He glanced over to Hermione. "It is supposed to be cherry." He shrugged. "I take it you want your daughter with us on the morrow?"

"I would like her to be with us, Severus," Hermione agreed firmly.

Severus frowned, thoughtfully. Looking up, he glared at Rose. "Stay. I must consult with your mother a moment." Turning and lightly taking Hermione by the elbow he directed them both from the bedroom and closed the door.

"I am used to detentions, points losses, and essays," he seemed to muse. "However... Hermione, what is your view on corporal punishment?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. She was shorter, by a foot-and-a-half, but when her ire was aroused she could present a formidable force. "Don't you even dare think of...!"

Severus raised a hand to placate the witch's temper. "Which is why I asked, my dear. I would not want to overstep the boundaries here, and I have had little practice in disciplining a child beyond the walls of Hogwarts." Hermione took a deep breath, and then curled the fingers of her right hand into his.

" I don't, necessarily, believe in spankings, but there are plenty of other ways to discipline Rose. For running in the house, not doing her chores, and some back talk, she gets to stand in the corner. For other infractions, I take away her sketch book, or reduce her 'art time'. I also might assign extra chores such as dishes or laundry or weeding the garden." Hermione then smirked, squeezing his hand. "I think a few dark glares and well-placed scowls from you will help with the minor things, such as her attitude."

"I can also take away her pastries," nodded Severus. Hermione smirked.

"She would be devastated if you took away her pastries, Severus," sighed Hermione in mock sadness.

Severus smiled softly. "As we are not home, we shall have to settle upon an apology to Drippy, and a..." he tapped his index finger to his lip as he calculated the time in his head. "A half an hour, I think in the corner." He then held up his head with a sudden idea. "And, considering how she over-indulged in sweets today, I say there should be no more upon this trip."

Hermione paused and she placed her hand upon Severus' forearm. "None? For an entire week?"

Severus nodded. "None."

Hermione pursed her lips, then nodded. "All right."

Witch and wizard returned to Rose's room, expecting to find her asleep, or at least feigning sleep but she sat up in her bed worriedly awaiting her punishment. As Severus laid out the punishment of an apology, time to be spent in a corner, and (alas!) no further pastries or sweets for the week, she sank back upon her back and down into her bed.

"You will sleep, or at least remain in this bed until it is time for us to take supper this evening," pronounced Severus. "Understood?"

Rose nodded mournfully.

Severus scowled in admonition. He despised nods and shakes and shrugs from children. Rose sighed, diving immediately what the scowl was for. "Yes, sir. I understand."

It seemed that would be that, but Rose knew better as she quickly peeked at her mother. Hermione's face appeared placid, but a storm of anger remained deep in her eyes. Rose knew she was in a lot of trouble. Severus was curious to know what else Hermione had on her mind.

"Rosie Athene Snape," Hermione clipped out, unaware that she had just given her child Severus' surname. Severus heard the slip, and though he showed no outward change of his features he could feel his heartbeating extra fast. Hermione continued, "You lied, today. To Drippy, and then in your letter to us. We've discussed lying before and I thought you understood..."

"But, I was _bored_, mum!" Rose whined piteously.

Hermione was not mollified and scowled with a darkness that Severus found interesting as he observed mother and daughter. "You lied, Rosie," Hermione's voice was soft, but there was a razor's edge beneath the tone. "Do you recall what I told you I would do if you ever... ever lied to me again? And, on top of that you frightened me and Severus to death when we couldn't find you right away!"

Rose cringed. "Mummy, please. You really won't do that will you? You won't spank me...?"

Hermione crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Severus, who was surprised at this revelation, was very conscious of the anger and the consternation flowing through the witch's body. He could tell that Hermione felt she ought to be consistent, but at the same time she wanted nothing to do with punishing her child by spanking her.

Severus decided to intervene, and touched Hermione's elbow lightly. "Hermione, my dear, I think we have lectured Rose enough for the evening. If I may suggest either extra chores, or an additional fifteen minutes standing in the corner would be best." He stepped over to the wardrobe where Rose had put her sketchbook and pencils. Rose watched him and her jaw slowly fell as he opened the door, then the inner drawer, and took out her art implements. "In the meantime, I believe I shall hold onto these."

For Rose, losing the ability to express herself artistically was tantamount to removing a limb. It _HURT_! Most likely worse than a spanking ever would. As Severus shrank down her sketchpad and box of pencils she let out a mournful wail. "Nooooooo!"

Severus turned sharply away and walked out of the bedroom. Hermione did not hesitate to follow and gently closed the door behind them. She then slumped against the wall with a huff of exasperated breath.

"I can easily say that I never felt this way after taking my Slytherins to task," muttered Severus. "I need a drink. A tipple for you, Hermione?" He moved into the common room, the sitting area, and over to the sideboard where a variety of drinks and glasses waited.

Hermione sighed again, straightened, and followed Severus. "A touch, yes." As she reached the wizard he handed her a small glass with a measure of brandy in it. "It never does get easy, Severus. Never..." She sipped at her brandy, then slipped an arm around his waist so she could lean her ear against his chest.

**THAT NIGHT AFTER SUPPER**

Rose stood before a house elf, technically a nanny elf, that was as tall as she. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back. Severus and Hermione sat upon a sofa behind Rose, appraising the apology.

Drippy had lovely, long ears to her thin shoulders, and big expressive brown eyes. She was listening to the child talking with all the earnestness in the world.

"I'm very sorry I lied to you, Drippy. Mum and Severus wanted me to stay with you all day, but I got bored. I wanted to explore." Rose's breath hitched, but with a huff she continued. "I know I really worried mum and Severus and I... I just didn't think you'd be worried, too. They both made it very clear to me after dinner that you were worried and I'm sorry for doing that to you." Rose glanced quickly over her shoulder to guage if she had done justice to the first of her punishments. Her mother smiled while Severus gave her a curt nod. Rose sighed in relief, then smiled at the elf. "Do you still like me, Drippy?"

The nanny elf patted her cheek with long fingers and beamed at the little girl. "Course I still likes you Missy Rose. You was bad girl but you apologises and bad childrens don't have such nices manners. Thank you, Missy Rose." The elf then turned her gaze to the adults in the room. "Is Mistress Hermione or Master Severus needing Drippy anymores tonight?"

Severus shook his head but Hermione spoke. "Thank you, but no, Drippy. Have a good night."

The elf bowed sharply and then popped away.

Hermione rose from the sofa and kissed her daughter's forehead. "That was very good, Rose." Her soft look hardened, slightly. "Never lie again, Rosie Athene. Tomorrow, after breakfast, you'll be visiting the corner. Now, give Severus a kiss, and off to bed."

Rose nodded, kissed her mother's cheek, then went over to the tall wizard who had risen from the sofa. _Good gods he was tall!_ For a moment he gave the child a severe glance, then it softened and he bent down so she could have easier access to his cheek.

Arms thrown round the older man's neck, she kissed Severus, then whispered, "I wouldn't mind if my last name were Snape." With a giggle, she let go and ran to her bedroom where the door shut firmly.

Severus dropped onto the sofa and meant to pull the sleeves of his frock coat down over his white shirt in a time-honoured tic, but he discovered that he had removed his frock coat at some point before dinner was served. He set to unbuttoning his cuffs, then leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.

Moments later the wizard was delighted to feel Hermione's cool/warm hands unbuttoning the collar of his shirt. He sighed with contentment when those hands were able to steal within the shirt and to drift over the skin of chest and belly. The sensation, sort of ended until Hermione's arms went around his waist and she was curled up beside him his own arms cradling the witch.

The wizard allowed himself the grace of a brief smile. Despite the latter half of the day he still enjoyed _his girls_. Quite frankly, he could admit to himself, he was loathe to never let them go.

* * *

_**A/N: Thank you for all your kind words in regards to Marcus - the furry bebbe. This chapter was already written but it needed polishing. So here it is.**_

_**By the way - for any writer out there I have two writing programmes for you to download. ZenWriter and FocusWriter. They are free and downloadable for PC, Mac, iPad, and Linux. Slight differences in each one but they are designed to give you a space to write that is pretty, readable, and distraction free.**_


	45. Chapter 45 Dalrousch

There were no clients to look up to, no conferences, no speeches. For the day the convention had closed it doors and everyone was free to take in the sights, several good meals in different cafes and restaurants.

Severus, Hermione and Rose did not leave the Palace Inn until ten in the morning but that was due to Rose having to spend an obligatory amount of time in the corner for having run away and lied the previous day. Hermione had then surprised Rose with a tin of Polish Potion and a rag, and set her to work polishing all of the wood furniture in the common area.

While Hermione supervised, Severus went over the various orders and contracts he had received so far. He felt out of sorts that he had neither a storefront nor a lab in which to begin this important work.

A name for their business had come to Severus with the appearance of the very first order; he needed to write down a name for the shop on the order form! Advent Apothecary owned by Severus Snape and his business partner Hermione Granger, was thusly born.

Furniture polishing was soon finished and Severus tucked his paperwork away. Their first visit was to an historic museum not far from the Palace Inn. Museums were a rare commodity on the British wizarding isle but here in wizarding Vienna the locals were proud of their history.

The museum was a storehouse of paintings, old manuscripts (that both Hermione and Severus were charmed by) hundreds of knick-knack artefacts from the centuries past, and then an entire area of the museum had been set aside for magical artefacts.

The sector of magical artefacts was especially interesting to the three tourists for there were no "real" artefacts to be found in Britain or the surrounding countries - for display, that is. The Department of Mysteries, most specifically the Unspeakables, had access to, and kept hidden ALL magical artefacts of any interest. Severus was rather annoyed knowing that nearly all, but a very few, of Albus Dumbledore's collection of gadgets having to do with time had been confiscated by the Department of Mysteries.

Most, if not all the artefacts, were behind glass and wards to keep the public safe from the accidental effects of the artefact. Severus noted that there were very few Dark artefacts on display.

Rose had become fascinated by a painting. An extremely old painting of a pale-faced witch in luxurious robes in purple, blue, and green. Her pale blonde hair had been styled into layers of tight, corkscrew curls piled on the top of her head. It was a charmed portrait and the woman was watching Rose as the child studied her.

"Mum," said Rose softly, reverently. "I want to paint like this someday."

Hermione swallowed. This was something she had feared. She had explained to Rose that she could not do magic, and she had seemed to understand, and minded little. Her daughter loved her drawing and painting.

"Isn't she beautiful?" sighed Rose, oblivious to the consternation her mother was undergoing.

"A painter, are you, young lady?" a voice behind the three inquired softly. Rose did not move, but both Hermione and Severus turned slightly to the older voice. Severus was silently berating himself for not noticing the bent wizard's arrival behind them.

"She's loved to draw ever since she picked up a quill," murmured Hermione.

The mysterious wizard was bent over and leaned heavily upon a gnarled cane of hand-carved wood. His long beard had been smoothly braided. He gave Hermione a beatific smile and gave Severus a respectful nod. The bent wizard then replied, "Dalrousch. I am here to paint the Elder of the Potions Master's Guild."

"Dalrousch!" Severus gasped in a whisper of awe. Hermione gave him a quick puzzled look. Severus' wand flashed as he conjured a firm but comfortable chair for the old wizard to seat himself upon.

"Thank you, young man!" sighed Dalrousch as he carefully seated himself. Rose had turned at that point to turn knowing and admiring eyes upon the elderly painter.

"Oh! Mr. Dalrousch! I've read just everything about you!" Rose exclaimed.

Hermione frowned. "Am I the only one who doesn't know..." she glanced at the older wizard. "Who he is?"

"Apparently," said Severus with the slightest of smirks. "Dalrousch, if I may introduce?" The older wizard gave the tall wizard an indulgent nod as royalty might do to a commoner. "Miss Hermione Granger, her daughter Miss Rose Granger, and I am Potions Master Severus Snape." He then swept his hand towards the wizard, "This is Dalrousch. He is this centuries pre-eminent living portraitist alive."

"And," added Rose quickly. "He's never had an apprentice!"

Dalrousch chuckled. "Quite so, young lady. I never have taken an apprentice for there has never been anyone that I have found to be worthy to pass my secrets on to." He glanced at Rose whose gaze sparkled with hope. Hermione, her smile as stone, knew that Rose would never be such an artist, and it killed something inside of her. The older wizard bowed. "If you'll allow me to take my leave ladies and gentleman?"

With their farewells the old painter was almost gone from their sight, but then he turned, and looked right into Severus' dark gaze. "I am pleased to meet you in person, once more, instead of on a wall. Good day, Headmaster." With a wink the old man was gone.

"He called you Headmaster," observed Rose.

Hermione glanced up at the wizard. She knew that Severus had been Headmaster of Hogwarts, once. It had been taken under terrible circumstances (the death - the murder - of Albus Dumbledore) and his reign had been during the storm that led up to the Final Battle. "Dalrousch painted you, Severus?"

"All Heads of Hogwarts must have their portraits painted upon acceptance of the position." His face soured perceptibly. "I found it to be an... inconvenience."

Rose slipped her hand into Severus' easily erasing the sour look that graced his features. "I could paint your portrait, Severus."

The conviction in Rose's voice, the confidence that she could do an even better job than had Dalrousch, touched his soul very deeply. He lightly squeezed the tiny fingers in the palm of his hand. "I would be most honoured to sit for you, dear girl."

Rose blushed and grinned as she felt the heat upon her cheeks. Walking along now with her mother, and the man she desperately wanted as her real father, she knew that she would definitely be painting one, Severus Snape. It would be the best painting in all the world!

After the museum they had visited an uncounted number of shops, and, avoided any place that sold pastries. One shop was a toy shop that had the cacophonus atmosphere of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, but not the questionable content that led to coloured and rotating freckles, excuses of illness to skive off classes, and various chocolate creams that turned one (briefly) into a canary, a parrot, a piglet, or a goat. This store had toys that appeared to encompass every sort of toy possible.

Hermione was charmed by a toddler size worm with spectacles and a floppy hat that would read any book that it curled around. Severus had been intrigued by an entire section devoted to the wonders of potions making for children. There were potions kits that could be used with a parent's help in which could be brewed various coloured liquids that were just pretty, to sweets, to a very beginner's set in which a few of the most easiest, and common household potions could be brewed. All the kits had been properly labelled for corresponding ages of children; something Severus approved of. Another aspect of the section was a small library of pop-up books that he glanced at cursorily.

Rose was fascinated by the charmed pop-ups that moved through magic and had asked Severus if she might have one book that depicted a Potions class much like the one the Potions Master had taught at Hogwarts. The tiny, two-dimensional children delighted her as did the two dimensional Potions Master that swept up and down between his students benches as they brewed. Hermione had remarked that the figure looked quite a bit like Severus. He had scowled at her, and when her attention was taken by something that caused her to turn away Severus had promptly smacked her luscious backside. Hermione let out a squeak and then gave the wizard a mischievous smile. Rose, who had caught the gesture out of the corner of her eye, rolled her eyes in the exasperation of children with frisky parents all the world over.

Their day of tourism ended with a quiet dinner in the Palace Inn restaurant. Both Hermione and Severus ate quietly as they listened to Rose babble on over the highlights of the day. Once dinner had concluded, and Rose had done her best to cajole the adults into letting her have pudding (and failing) they returned to their rooms. Rose went off to bed without an argument, but with copious yawns and her potions pop-up book clutched in one hand.

Dimming the lights and stirring up the fire, both Severus and Hermione retired to the sofa to cuddle (yes, cuddle!) and to share a languid kiss or three. Just as Severus intended to take their kisses a bit farther the flames in the fireplace shifted to green. Hermione glanced curiously at the flames wondering if the concierge might be disturbing them. Severus scowled until there was a whoosh and an elegant scroll was spat out. Severus caught the scroll just as the flames shifted back to their warmth.

"Who is it from?" Hermione asked quietly.

Severus had broken the seal which had been a phoenix, opened the scroll, and was skimming the letter. "It is from the portraitist, Dalrousch."

"Read it aloud, would you, Severus?" she asked as he draped one arm over her shoulders as the witch curled up against his side.

_"Headmaster & Madame Granger, I was very pleased to meet all of you but most especially Rose. I have been searching for her for many years. We know when there is another with our talent. Allow me to explain. We painters of living portraits are a curious breed. We are extremely few in number over this world of ours. And, all of us were born as Squibs._

_As I am sure you know, Squibs are not entirely without magic. It is limited, nearly muted, but each of us has within us a gift. For some it is an affinity for animals, or a deeper understanding of house elves, a particular skill with herbs, and so on. Your daughter, Madame Granger, has a desire, and no doubt a talent, for the artistic. As I do. You see, I sensed her magic the moment you all arrived for the conference. I knew it was her that I had been seeking when we met in the museum._

_Your daughter is young, yet, Madame Granger, but when she is come to her eleventh year I should like to take her as my apprentice. I should very much like to become her mentor and to pass to her the secrets of the Living Portraitist._

_If this is agreeable to you, or if you have questions of me, please meet me tomorrow, at noon for tea, at the Unterwelt Gärten._

_Your servant,_  
_Dalrousch"_

Hermione took the letter slowly from Severus and re-read the words he had just read aloud. She felt unaccountably warm, and began to fan her face as she read a second time. "Dalrousch wants to mentor my daughter!" she gasped with a breathy exclamation.

Severus saw that Hermione was excited, but he was more cautiously reticent. "Are you certain this is something you would desire for Rose?"

Hermione nearly crushed the letter as she beamed at the wizard. "Severus, he wants to mentor Rose! Do you know what that means?"

"She will be his apprentice," voiced Severus flatly.

Hermione glared. "Oh! You're such a wet blanket!" she growled. Hermione jumped to her feet, paced briefly, and then faced Severus, in position for a fight. "Rose loves to draw and to paint. Her father rejected her for a lack of magic. She's always been a quiet little thing but I know she has looked at every other witch wishing that she could be as special." She waved the letter in Severus' face. He caught it and snatched it from the witch. "Rose... could be special... in. our. world." Hermione flopped down beside the tall man. "Oh, Severus. My Rose...!"

Severus relaxed and draped an arm over Hermione's shoulders. He leaned over and kissed her temple. "Rose has always been special, Hermione. You do know that, do you not?"

Hermione looked awkwardly up into the Potions Master's eyes, and saw the gentle, knowing, smile upon his lips. "Of course I know my child is special, Severus. This offer would show her that she really is special. In our world. She wouldn't see herself as a Squib that ought to be hidden, but a witch in her own right." Looking down at the letter again, Hermione settled herself more into Severus' arms. "I know..." she began slowly. "Are you worried that I might pressure Rose into something she might not want?"

Severus rubbed Hermione's arms gently, "Perhaps. It would be ideal, and it would eventually lead to quite a bit of prestige in the wizarding world. Dalrousch's work is so highly prized, and coveted, that he has spent the last three decades in near seclusion." The wizard shifted and pulled his witch into his chest. "I nearly killed the man when he showed up in my office at Hogwarts to paint my portrait for the Heads of Hogwarts wall." Hermione giggled softly. "It is not amusing, love," he frowned. "It was a very tense time and no one, but myself, had been able to get into Dumbledore's office since his mur... death."

"Well, I know very little of the man..."

"As did I," murmured Severus.

"But, perhaps Rose knows a bit more. And, if you let her know about his recent past and brush with fame, she'll have a full understanding of what this means."

Severus could feel the excitement in Hermione's body. He hated to say his next words, but he could not censor himself. "And, if Rose does not want this apprenticeship? If she refuses, Hermione, what then?"

Hermione sat up stiffly so she was no longer in the wizard's arms. "Then that is her choice, Severus, and I will uphold it."

Hermione started to rise from the sofa, a touch of the pique about her bearing, but Severus grasped her forearm and tugged her back. She fell, delightfully and pliantly, right onto his lap. She only took a moment to right herself, to smile engagingly at Severus, whereupon he kissed her until not just her toes curled, but her curls curled tighter.

Needless to say, all argument was forgotten, Hermione was breathless, and Severus was pleasantly dazed.

Rose, who had just unwittingly witnessed the scorched kissing, rolled her eyes, and turned back into her bedroom!


	46. Chapter 46 Even Squibs Have Magic

Rose woke to the delicious and tempting aroma of warm pastries. Flashes of clotted cream, raspberry jam, and butter dripping over the pastries flitted through her mind and she stirred from her bed.

She was tempted to leave her bedroom but both mum and Severus had stressed that if she did not dress in the morning and stayed in her nightgown she had to don her dressing gown and matching slippers - pretty little green satin and gold lined slippers that always made her feel like a princess.

She smiled at her mirror, belted the satin, gold tassled belt around her dressing gown, and then replaced the smile with the pout that was the inheritance of all children hoping to wheedle something from her parents.

Opening her bedroom door, she stepped into the common sitting room, eyed her mother and Severus both at the little breakfast table, and firmed her pout. "You know, it's really not fair that I can smell such lovely pastries and not have any..." she began.

Severus lowered the Daily Prophet in front of his nose just enough to reveal his dark glare and that nose of his.

"Put away the pout, Rose. You would never begin your breakfast with a pastry even if they are on the menu," he ordered. Rose's pout tightened into visible lines that enhanced her frown as she sat down like a sack of flour onto her chair.

Severus lowered, then folded the paper neatly and laid it near his cup of coffee. His scowl was no longer just his eyes, but in the thinning of his mouth and the disapproval in his posture.

"Remove that pout, at once, Miss Rose, or your mother will not tell you her important news," the wizard ordered, but this time with the tone that he expected her to behave. Or else.

Rose let out a sigh of resignation, shrugged her shoulders, and picked a piece of cubed canteloupe from her bowl of cubed fruit. She popped it into her mouth and glanced at her bacon, eggs, and toast.

"What news, Mum?" asked Rose as she nibbled on a piece of bacon and eyed the tray of gooey, icing glazed pastries with unrequited desire. Back behind his news, Severus' hand jerked as he cast a silent, wandless spell that moved the plate of pastries further out of Rose's reach. She gave him a quick glare, and popped a grape into her mouth.

Hermione gave Severus a slight smirk, and then she dropped an indulgent smile upon her daughter. "Breakfast first, Rose, and then we'll all talk."

Rose normally would protest - her curiosity getting the better of her - but there had been a tone to her mother's pleasant command that told her to keep quiet, and to hold the questions. With another sigh, audible to both adults for maximum effect, she dove into her breakfast.

When Rose emerged from her breakfast, ending with the last drop of orange juice (Hermione still thought Pumpkin Juice, which did not taste like pumpkin, was the wizarding world's excuse for sugar-bombed juice), she glanced towards the dish of pastries. To her absolute chagrin Severus' fingers had just delicately removed the last pastry from the dish.

"Severus," she mourned softly.

The wizard no longer was reading the news, but picked up his cup of coffee and sipped at it. His gaze settled upon Rose in question.

"Couldn't I... please...?" Rose aimed her largest puppy-dog eyes upon him. He distinctly heard a stifled giggle come from the woman curled on the sofa. "Please, can't I have a pastry? I'll be good all day... well, for the rest of the week, too!"

Severus bit into the pastry, never taking his eyes from hers. "No."

Rose's reaction was explosive. She pushed herself away from the table and turned to her mother. "Mu-um!" she wailed. "One pastry isn't going to kill me!" She moved to where her mother was on the sofa.

Severus quickly dropped the cinnamon bun to the plate and vanished it as a slight grimace touched his lips. He really disliked the sticky, sweet things!

Hermione had not seen the gesture but full well knew of Severus' dislike for the overly sweetened confections. "I'm sorry, Rose, but part of the punishment was that you were not to have any sweets for the rest of the week."

Rose plopped down beside her mother and crossed her arms belligerently across her chest. Hermione nudged the girl with her elbow. "Take that sourpuss off your face, Miss, or I won't tell you about the owl that came about you last night."

Rose's entire being changed as her curiosity swept over her. She turned, pulled her legs up on the sofa, and was now upon her knees smiling at her mother. "Oh please, Mum! What owl? Tell me?" she pleaded winsomely.

"Dalrousch wrote," smiled Hermione. "He would like you for his apprentice when you turn eleven."

Rose started to jump up in joy, but collapsed back down to her knees. Her shoulders bowed forward and she hung her head. "I can't, Mum. I'm a Squib. I'm not magic."

The sofa dipped just behind Rose as Severus settled himself down upon the cushion. "You are a Squib, Rose, but what many witches and wizards fail to acknowledge is that a Squib still has within them a magical core. This is why it can be detected with Measuring Spells, and the reason why potions and charms still work upon a Squib whereas the magic would not, in many cases, work upon a Muggle."

Rose turned, plopped down onto her bum, and looked up at Severus as he lectured. What he was telling her was something she had not ever known.

"So, I have magic?" she asked softly.

Severus gave her a very serious, penetrating look. "You do, Rose. It is simply very low compared to your mother's or mine. Also, your magic is much more subtle, and for you, I would say it is nearly as important as breathing." Rose tried, very hard to understand what he was implying, but she was not getting his meaning. Severus smiled briefly as his fingers stroked her cheek. "Your magic... is woven into your artwork, child. When have you ever seen an eight year old child draw and paint as you do? Your work is terribly advanced, and even though it is still, there is life breathing within every brushstroke. I have no doubt that Dalrousch will be able to impart his secrets to you."

"Wow," breathed Rose softly as she leaned back against the sofa cushion. "I have magic."

* * *

The Undterveldt Garten of Vienna's wizarding world was a 30-acre sprawl of magical herbs, bushes, trees, and more. Paths of flat, cobbled stone wound through it like a drunken maze. The paths were pleasantly dotted with iron scrollwork benches, each seated amongst a wealth of pansy- and petunia- like flowers in a wealth of royal bejeweled shades.

Dalrousch had strolled amongst the flowers for an hour before finding an iron bench to settle upon. Birds, ravens, magpies, and crows, all flocked to his feet as he threw grain to them from a bag of grain in his lap. He was content, and perhaps more relaxed than ever he had been in his whole life because he had found his apprentice.

He had hoped to discover his apprentice when he had gone to Hogwarts in 1997, but there was a war going on, and he had, instead, found himself painting the very reluctant Headmaster Snape. He recalled those days of aggravation when he had made attempt after attempt to get the wiry, dark man to sit still for five minutes. He had borne the brunt of hundreds of scowls and glares, and had patiently waited out the volatile wizard's temper.

Their war was not his. Dalrousch was French and French born. Both his parents had been magical, but he had been born a Squib. He did have an incredible knack for reading the "silent language of the body", and he had a talent for drawing. Fortunately for him in his world, children were children who were valued whether or not they had magic. His upbringing was modest. He had been a "late" baby, and so his siblings, three brothers - all wizards - were older than he. The youngest was 10 years older than he.

Dalrousch drew and drew, and sometimes (as a growimg boy) had his pencils and paper taken from him at bedtime because he would not stop. He had drawn every flower and every tree on his family's property. He had drawn his parents bookshop, his parents, and his brothers and their families.

At the tender age of ten, his mentor had found him and introduced him to the world of living portraits, and the secrets of a Master of Portraiture.

He had patiently waited and anticipated the day when he would sense the appearance of his own apprentice. Teaching was something he learned he had a yen for early on in his career and so, for a decade at least, he had taught Figure Drawing at a Muggle university in France. He continued to teach, as his travelling days began in the wizarding world, and taught at various Muggle universities, colleges, and schools.

It had not been a coincidence that found him at the gathering of Potions Masters in Vienna. He had a portrait to do of the retiring Head of the Potions Guild and he expected to pick up another commission or two for vanity's sake, or a gift from a loved one. In other words, Dalrousch travelled where the business was for him.

Dalrousch was looking forward to his apprentice's parents accepting him. He knew that in many countries Squibs had been looked upon as a family embarrassment to hide away. Even now, in these more enlightened days, the common witch and wizard did not realize that a Squib was not entirely without magic.

Dalrousch knew of Squibs who had made lives for themselves in the Muggle world as successful actors, chefs, writers, painters, teachers, lawyers, and even politicians. Knowing that he had something that would keep Rose as a productive member in her parents world was worth everything to him.

Rounding a path that led through an avenue of magical rose bushes (unfortunately, the kind that had been at Hogwarts and that Severus never much cared for) Rose, her mother, and the Potions Master were met by a smiling Dalrousch. The old painter led them all over to a set of ironwork benches around a small fountain.

"I am so pleased you came," said Dalrousch as he clapped his hands together. "You will paint for me, won't you, Rose?" he addressed the girl.

Rose beamed. "Paintings that move?"

"Oh yes, child! I shall teach you all the secrets of magical portraits." He smiled and leaned closer to her. "It is something only we of 'little talent' can do." He chuckled. Rose, finding his laugh infectious giggled.

"I want to paint everyone!" declared Rose. "But, I promised to paint Severus first. Is that all right?" Suddenly worried for no reason, Rose slipped her hand into Severus'. He gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze.

Dalrousch eyed the child, then the wizard, with serious consideration. "A living portrait?"

It was Severus who spoke up. "Rose wishes to just paint me. That is enough," he said and squeezed her fingers once more, yet he did not smile.

Dalrousch beamed. He noted the hand-clasp between man and child, and his smile brightened. He would have his apprentice!

Dalrousch had made his goodbyes begging the appointment he had to attend to paint the Head of the Potions Guild. He took particular time in shaking Rose's hand solemnly; promising that he looked forward to teaching her.

* * *

As they had the rest of the day off Severus decided that lunch at a cafe the hotel concierge had told him made great sandwiches, wwas to be their destination.

After lunch they visited a wizarding museum, something that Hermione commented, rather mournfully, their world in Britain and Scotland was sorely lacking. Both Hermione and Severus blanched at a display that looked all too realistic of Voldemort and his "paramour", Bellatrix LeStrange. The figures had been animated with magic, and although their movements were restricted, it was their voices that lent revulsion and shivers to the two adults.

Rose was oblivious to the shared, silent disgust of the two adults behind her. She had heard the stories; after all, her mother had been one of the "Golden Trio" heroes! However, she scowled at the visage of Voldemort and declared, "Where's his nose? You can't have a great life if you can't smell the pastries."

Severus stared down at Rose, then smirked. His hand alighted gently upon the crown of her head. Hermione laughed, and clutched the Potions Master's arm.

"Out of the mouths of babes," whispered Severus as he shook his head.

* * *

_**LATER, THAT EVENING**_

Hermione, still breathing hard, lay her head upon Severus' chest. She managed a half-hearted smile at the sound of his heart beating rapidly beneath her ear.

"Wicked woman," sighed Severus. "You will be... the most pleasant death of me, my love."

Hermione chuckled softly. Severus arm pulled the witch closer and he pillowed his cheek against her soft, brown and gold curls. His fingers on his other hand trailed gently through a mass of those curls, recalled how Rose's silken, strawberry curls felt under his palm, and then saw a very quick vision of a small boy, looking very much like him, but with a wealth of lively, black curls.

Severus thought he ought to be startled at such a vision, but the image of the small child settled into his heart like a puzzle piece that had been lost, but now fit perfectly. So enthralled, he could perhaps be forgiven his declaration after such coital-bliss.

"I should like you to marry me, Hermione."

Hermione stoppped breathing, then shifted in Severus' arms until she could look into his gaze. "You want... me... to... m-m-m..."

Although what he had just said thundered in his mind, again, it did not feel out of place, just as the vision of that child had. It felt right.

Severus kissed Hermione's brow, then brushed his lips against hers. "I cannot imagine you not by my side, Hermione. I ought to... reign in my emotions, but I am unable to do so. You are ... right. Rose is right." He smiled, very softly, and caressed Hermione's belly. It was soft with childbirth, and a few extra pounds, but it was beautiful. Hermione was a work of the finest art. He drew her into his arms, again, kissing her with the languid sense of a man slowly drowning... and not minding at all.

Hermione's arms were the silken arms of a Nymphet, wrapped possessively around her wizard, yet in the embrace, as he kissed his witch, Severus had never felt such freedom before. It settled upon him like the secure drapes of his cloak. He pulled away, very briefly, to touch his nose to hers, then dove back into Hermione's mouth.

Hard and soft met in a symphony of a deliberate dance, a waltz, perhaps. Their blood heated as their passions bloomed like a slow waking Night Orchid. Hermione's whimpers stirred a primal need in Severus as he fell, over and over again, into her scented touch. When she cried out his name, he felt Marked in a way his Dark Mark had never touched him. His soul had been branded, yes, but now it was part of Hermione's. His voice a growl, so very near to tears, but not, her name poured from his tongue as his seed settled within Hermione's womb to grab hold, to become life.

Breathless once more, Severus settled the duvet about their shoulders as the witch burrowed into her lover. Her eyes had nearly fluttered closed, and her breathing was the satisfied, sleepy breath of the satiated.

Neither saw the door to their bedroom slowly creak open. Neither realised they had both forgotten both a Locking Charm on the bedroom door, and a Silencing Charm around them. Rose did not mind such "silly" noises. It was what adults who loved each other, anyway. Besides, she had something more important on her mind that the "silliness" that her mum and Severus were getting up to.

Her voice breaking into the soft slumber the lovers had slipped into, Severus jolted awake, as Hermione made sure the duvet did not decide to slip off at the wrong moment.

"Rose!" cried Hermione.

"What are you doing in here, Miss Rose?" demanded Severus, the old tone of his once being a teacher creeping into his voice.

"I should have a familiar. I think I want a fox."

* * *

**A/N: My apologies. I know this chapter has taken forever, as a few have reminded me. The arthritis in my hands is getting the better of me, and some days it is all I can do to hold my Kindle so I can read. I firmly intend to finish this story, but I cannot promise prompt and timely updates. I can only do my best.**

**As for my other story, Daddy Long Legs, I have put that one up for adoption. If there is a writer out there who would care to finish it, please let me know. If I do not hear anything by Christmas, I will simply take the story down.**

**Now, all that aside, was this chapter up to your desires? What about that familiar Rose wants?**


	47. Chapter 47 Home Again

The conference was over and it had been a month gone as Severus and Hermione set up their new apothecary. It was a brighter shop than Severus would have preferred but it was on Diagon Alley and Hermione did not want unintentional dimness to discourage patrons.

Severus had come back from Vienna with several lucrative contracts including an interesting one from Provence, France that charged him to create one perfume that came in an oil, a water, a shampoo, a conditioner, and a balm. Hermione, after their return, had secured a very lucrative contract from Hogwarts; a contract whose acceptance had been influenced by Poppy Pomfrey.

As for Rose, Severus had made the suggestion that the young artist be enrolled in an after school class that was heavy in drawing. She loved the class and had become, it appeared, permanently attached to a pad of drawing paper and a quill with a leaded nib for drawing.

Severus had moved from Spinner's End to a quaint 4 bedroom cottage that had a large yard and garden space for Hermione's flowers and Severus' herbs and magical flora for brewing. It was not uncommon to find Rose out in the yard with her drawing pad, pencil quill, and sketching flowers, leaves, birds, trees, and insects. A time or two she had captured Severus in his shirtsleeves rolled up and gardening, and Hermione perfecting her hand at cooking in the kitchen. Hermione had not wanted to cook, but Severus had encouraged her, reminding her how she had been such a "know-it-all" and needed to learn how to cook.

Life could not be more idyllic, it seemed, especially to Severus.

A year had passed and seen the disposition of Ron Bilius. The trial of Ron Bilius once Weasley had been dealt with (Rose had been shielded from having to tetify against her own father by the combined efforts of Hermione, Severus, and the Weasley clan, and Harry and Luna Potter). Although Severus had at first wanted a more permanent solution to Ronald Bilius (there were no more Dementors at Azkaban) Arthur Weasley could not stand the thought of a punishment worse than life imprisonment. Of all the Weasleys it was only Arthur who wanted to visit his son.

As it was discovered by Arthur a curse from the Final Battle was affecting Ron; a curse that no one could break. Severus and Hermione had devised a potion that Ron drank weekly that calmed his mind a great deal away from it's maniacal violence. After the potion, he was back to indulging in chess games with his father, and once in a great while, Severus himself. With Hermione's blessing her ex-husband and Arthur Weasley managed to get Ron transferred from the dangerous section of prisoners to a more comely cell with clean floors, a clean bed, and a window.

Hermione, though, woke one morning feeling that something was not quite right. She had paced in the bedroom, the action which Severus had enjoyed for a bit since his witch had nothing on. It ceased being a form of entertainment when Rose knocked upon their door demanding breakfast. Severus had expected Hermione to take care of her daughter, but she had spun away from Severus on the bed and vanished into the bathroom. With a sigh Severus Summoned his robe, slippers, and a pair of dark green pyjama pants, and went to fix breakfast.

Rose tried to wheedle more than one honey-bun from Severus but he simply gave her a few more slices of fruit. The Daily Prophet arrived by owl and Severus glanced through the kitchen door to the short hallway that led to their bedroom; Hermione still had not shown and Severus was concerned.

"Severus, can I get a familiar today? It's saturday and you said we'd have to wait until saturday to go..."

"We shall, Rose, but let us make certain your mother has breakfasted first."

Rose poked at her now rubbery scambled eggs, "Okay. I still want a fox, though. Okay?"

Severus gave the small girl a serious look. "You do know that there may not be a fox available, Rose. Mister Trachenleach did tell us that he did not often come across..."

"I know, Severus, but I also know that my fox is there waiting for me so we don't have to worry." Rose smiled brightly and with absolute assurance at the older wizard.

Severus sighed. He knew of Eyelops Emporium that had the standard familiars of owls, kneazles, krups, toads, and frogs but they did not deal in the exotic familiars. That shop was to be found in Hogsmeade; Trachenleach's Exotica.

Tantalus Trachenleach only handled the more exotic of familiars and he did not always have something on hand. The last weekend that they had visited the proprietor had a very rare miniature Opaleye dragon; it would reach six feet at maturity. Although Rose had quite liked the pretty little dragon (brought there by of all wizards, Charlie Weasley, from Romania), Rose had been adamant that she wanted a fox.

"Severus?" the cautious voice of Hermione came from the doorway of the kitchen. Her face was drawn, worried, and her hands were clasping rhythmically in the cloth of her red velvet dressing gown.

"Hermione?" He turned fully in his chair. He was suddenly on the alert for bad news. "Are you unwell?"

"Mummy?" asked Rose. She could sense her mother's trepidation.

"I..." Hermione began but did not finish.

Severus, now noticing that Hermione's rosy colouring had gone rose swiftly from his chair, went to Hermione's side, and with one arm at her back and one hand over hers, he guided her to the chair he had vacated. Casting a quick Cushioning Charm, he knelt with one knee upon the floor, and cupped Hermione's face in his hands.

"My love, you are worrying both myself and Rose. What is wrong?" he asked firmly but gently.

Hermione's eyes blinked rapidly several times until her gaze was captured by the depths of Severus' black eyes. "I'm so sorry, Severus. I trusted what the Healer had told me after Hugo was born... I was just so sure... I mean... all this time and nothing's happened!"

"Hermione!" Severus could not help but snapping. He immediately regretted it when she jerked back and slammed her back against the chair. His hand stroked gently against the curls of her hair and he whispered, "Shhh, I am simply frustrated my dear. I just want to know that you are all right. Are you?" Hermione nodded sharply but did not speak. Sensing her hesitation before her daughter, Severus glanced over his shoulder at Rose. "Rose, would you go to the bathroom and bring a cool cloth for your mother?"

Without questioning the Potions Master Rose jumped up from her chair and left the kitchen.

"Now that Rose is occupied, can you tell me what put you in such a state?"

Hermione took a deep breath and took Severus' hands into her own in her lap. "You remember when I told you that after I had Hugo I had that infection and... and the Healer told me I wouldn't ever have children again?"

Severus felt his stomach drop but a tiny feeling stirred in worried excitement in his bones. "Yes. I do recall. Why...?"

"I did the charm six times, Severus. I know I didn't perform it incorrectly. Would you?"

Severus swallowed. A far away part of himself thought he knew what charm Hermione meant, but he would not voice it in case he was wrong. "What charm, love?"

_"Egritudo in Graviditatem_." Hermione's voice was such a soft whisper that Severus wanted to pretend he had not understood the charm. He did know it, though.

Squeezing Hermione's hands Severus removed his wand, held it over her abdomen, and quietly incanted, "_Egritudo in Graviditatem_." The result was almost immediate; a pale white glow of magic that blossomed into a gentle blue.

Hermione's shoulders slumped as the blue glow faded. "I really am sorry, Severus, but I believed..." Her voice dropped away as a slow smile touched the wizard's lips.

"Why are you sorry, my darling girl? You and I are to be parents. Should that not be an occasion for joy?" His smile faded as swiftly as it had appeared. A terrible thought flashed through his mind; _maybe Hermione did not want to have his child!_

Seeing the sudden hurt deadness in Severus' eyes Hermione quickly caught his face in her hands and kissed him. She then stroked his hair with her right hand. "Severus, I do, oh yes I do so very much want your child, but I thought _you_ never wanted..." She bowed her head to glance down at her hands in her lap. "I suppose that may have been why I took the Healer at his word that I couldn't... and, I never took..."

Her voice was cut off as Severus stood, drew Hermione up into his arms, and kissed her thoroughly, and soundly. He then pulled lightly away, still keeping the witch in his arms. "Whatever magic has allowed this blessing between us, I cannot describe to you how much I love you, Hermione Granger." She started to smile, but again he pulled her tight to himself and kissed her.

"Mum, I brought you...!" Rose glared at the two adults caught in their kiss. She threw the cool cloth to the floor, and muttered as she left, "I still want my fox!"

* * *

Tantalus Trachenleach was a thin man beyond thin. As thin as he was, seldom did anyone think he had any strength but his thin limbs were all ropey muscle. He was also stretched to six feet in height and long, straight, brown hair that he tied back at the nape of his neck with a piece of leather.

Trachenleach's Exotica was simply a bare storefront that served as a gate to his farm where he housed the exotic animals that came to him from all over the world. Each one was meant for a particular wizard or witch and so, few knew, that the animals came to await their witch or wizard.

At precisely one in the afternoon Tantalus was alerted to the arrival of the Potions Master and the Granger women. He slid gracefully from his desk, buttoned his tailored, blue frock coat over his darker blue vest, and smiled.

"Master Snape!" He bowed in greeting. "And Madame Granger and Miss Rose! Welcome. Come! Come!"

Severus and Hermione glanced in puzzlement at each other but Rose grinned and let out a little squeal. "You have my fox, Mr. Trachenleach?"

"She is a dear little kit from the northern woods of the Americas, Miss Rose. A Silver fox."

The thin proprietor led them through the wall where each were caressed by the quaint, and complex magic of very old gate wards. They stepped from the shop to an outdoor pen where all three saw the homemade-looking surrounding fence that had been sectioned for various animals. There were also stables and Severus paused as he saw the gleaming flash of the white hide of an Aethenor - a winged horse.

However, Severus attention was quickly drawn away from the Aethenor and moved towards Rose who was on her knees with a small fox kit that was happily gamboling around her as she giggled at it. Hermione was crouched down by her daughter, and then took a moment to glance over her shoulder.

"Severus, come see this sweet fellow!" encouraged Hermione.

Normally, Severus would have declined, but something blossomed within his heart; a kind of sublime pain. He knew in that moment that whatever he had once been he now wanted - more than anything - to be part of the memory that was now being created. He swept over to Rose and Hermione and knelt down. At that moment the little kit bounced over to the wizard, hit his knee, and tried climbing up onto his lap.

Rose clapped her hands in glee. "Oh, Severus! Tumble likes you!"

Severus scooped the little fox into his hands, and brought it up to his eyes. He squinted appraisingly at it. "Tumble, are you? You will be good to my dear Rose, will you not?"

The kit yipped as if in understanding. Rose beamed, not at the kit, but at Severus for calling her his. Hermione also smiled and one hand stole over her belly reaching out to the life within that she had made with Severus. Shifting slightly, so one knee upon the ground brought her closer, Hermione kissed Severus, quickly but with all her love. Severus handed the kit to Rose. He was smiling, just barely, but his smile had graced his eyes.

In that moment, that memory that none of them would forget Severus knew he had a true family.

Moving closer to Hermione so that his hand covered hers over her abdomen, he asked softly, "Would you be my wife, Hermione?"

Rose's eyes suddenly glittered with barely suppressed hope, and she interrupted, "Could I be your daughter, Severus?"

Severus almost said yes to Rose, but Hermione had yet to answer him. He looked at his witch. "Hermione?" He was unaware of the slight tremor of nerves in his silken voice.

Hermione, her breath taken away, simply could not voice her joy. She nodded rapidly, smiling, tears suddenly leaking from her eyes until she finally blurted, "Yes, Severus!" Hermione then draped an arm over her daughter's shoulder and hugged her close. "Rosie Athene, would you like to be a Snape?"

Rose hugged her mother then stood, but held Tumble close to her chest, and walked over to Severus who watched her intently with his dark gaze.

"Can Tumble be a Snape, too, Severus?" Rose asked shyly.

"Well, of course he can, Rose." Severus then smiled as Rose kissed his cheek and gave him a one-armed hug. "I've wanted to call you Papa for oh so long!" She breathed.

_Papa_. Severus did not think there was a more lovely word in the world, and he kissed Rose's forehead. "I am most pleased Rose." He then drew Hermione into his arms and kissed her fully; promising in that kiss that there would never be enough love for his dearest witch.

Rose looked down into Tumble's gold eyes and whispered conspiratorially, "Just ignore them, Tumble. They do that a lot."

Rose let out a delighted squeal as Severus drew her close to himself and her mother with a growl, Impertinent child!"

* * *

**A/N: I know this took forever and I do apologize, but I just really got hit by illness, then flu on top of everything else. For a very long while I just did not want to write anything. I have an Epilogue for this story and then it will be finished. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Now is the time that if you have questions on anything I might have forgotten to ask. I will answer in the Epilogue.**


	48. Chapter 48 Epilogue

_**Four Years Later**_

"Justin!" Hermione let out a chuckle as she heard a tell-tale giggle from the hall. "You butterball!"

Justinian Alfred Snape let out a squeal and a giggle as his mother caught him around his chubby belly. He squirmed but did so in order to turn himself so he could kiss his mother's cheeks with matching wet smacks. Kisses that Hermione happily returned as she put him down, patted his rear, and steered him into his bedroom.

Justin, as he was called by his mother, and his big sister, was wearing only a long t-shirt. Chubby legs and a little moon white bottom was free and arid. Justin was in the process of trying to remove the t-shirt but only managed to get himself tangled up in it. Hermione took the chance to tickle the exposed belly and he squealed again.

"Madame, whatever are you doing to my child?" demanded a stern wizard from the door of Justin's room. He glared askance at his nearly nude son.

Hermione untangled Justin from the t-shirt and curly, black hair and a cherubic face with very dark brown eyes lit upon the stern figure (sans robes and frock coat) standing in the doorway. "DADA!" Justin ran full tilt to his father and Severus scooped the boy up into his arms.

"You are not dressed, Justinian," scolded Severus mildly. He trailed the fingers of one hand over his son's belly making him giggle.

"I wanna wear my Dada Robes but mummy keeps tryin' to make me wear silly shorts," Justin explained as he caught a lock of his father's hair in his hands.

Severus glanced over at his wife - _my wife!_ "It is a special occasion, Hermione," he cajoled softly.

"You'll be hot, Justin," Hermione replied to her son.

Severus replied, "Are you or are you not a witch, wife? Cooling charms will be the order of the day."

Pretending to be miffed Hermione put her hands on her hips, scowled, and snipped, "Then you dress your son, Severus." Flouncing out of the door she did not escape the swat to her derriere from her husband. Hermione yelped and Justin clapped his hands in approval and giggled.

Severus waggled his eyebrows at his son, set him on the floor, and Summoned from the wardrobe a set robes, a white shirt, a vest, trousers, shoes, and socks, all in black. This was Justin's "dada robes". A set of robes and a suit that were just like his father's dress robes; robes that Severus would finish dressing in.

* * *

An hour later, Hermione sitting on the green tapestry divan in the sitting room, and wearing a pair of silver wire-rimmed reading glasses, was interrupted in her reading as her husband and son entered. Both were dressed and matched beautifully. Justin broke away from his father and skipped over to his mother so he could hug her.

"I look like dada, now, mummy. I'm hamdson now!"

"You certainly are, Justin. You're just as scrumptious as your dada." Hermione kissed her son and he pulled away to stand in front of the Floo.

Hermione closed her book and was joined by Severus who slipped an arm around her waist. He whispered into her ear, "Scrumptious?"

Severus' wife smiled and quickly kissed his nose. "Didn't you know you were scrumptious, Severus?" She then whispered. "Yummier than a pastry."

Severus growled and kissed his wife. At the Floo he grabbed a handful of floo powder, set the flames to burning, and threw in the powder and called out a destination that took them to Hogsmeade Station. Once at the station they were exposed to the Summery day in June Severus cast silent Cooling Charms on each of them.

Justin was bouncing on his feet at the sight of the beautiful red and gold train that was the Hogwarts Express. He tried to skip away, but Severus had deftly caught a portion of Justin's robe in his hand to stop him.

"I wanna see da train!" Justin blurted. Justin tugged impatiently upon his father's hand. "Pwease! Pwease, Dada!"

"Justinian Alfred Snape!" growled Severus. "Settle yourself at once."

Justin settled, but pouted mournfully at his father. Hermione sighed as she looked down at her son. "Oh, Severus, why don't you take Justin over to the train. I'll wait here." Before Severus could object, Hermione knelt down by Justin, tugged the lapels of his robes so he would face her, and she warned, "Don't let go of daddy's hand, Justin. All right?"

Justin nodded and smiled. "Less go, Dada!" He grasped his father's hand and tugged; not moving an inch. Throwing a very Snape-ish scowl up at his father, Severus chuckled and followed.

Minutes later, as Hermione proudly watched her son being escorted around the outside of the shiny gold and red Hogwarts Express, she felt a shy tapping on her back. She turned and her smile lit the entire station as she greeted her twelve year old daughter.

Rose stood just below her mother's collarbone. Her hair was long, unfettered, and shone like golden strawberry curls in the Summer sun. There was a splash of freckles across her nose and cheeks that had arrived on her eleventh birthday. She had spent one year with her mentor in learning the skills of magical portraiture. It would not be until her majority that she would learn the full magic of that process, but until then Master Dalrousch passed on all his skill in drawing, painting, and so on. Rose had blossomed under her mentor, but there remained that sweet girl who still loved bread and pastries.

"Rosie Athene!" Hermione drew her daughter tightly into her arms.

"Mummy!" Rose breathed out. Still hugging her mother she drew in the scent of her mother's shampoo and felt herself transported to their little cottage. She was suddenly so very homesick.

Yip!

Tumble, now a full-grown silver fox had appeared and he jumped up on Hermione's forearms. He squeaked as he licked her cheek.

"Tumble! How are you, you furball!" Hermione greeted.

"ROSIE!" Justin's shout was loud enough to carry up and down the platform. Seeing that his son was safe, Severus let Justin go and he ran towards his big sister. Justin's robes fluttered behind him as he ran.

"Justin!" cried Rose as she caught her little brother into a great big hug.

"Dada an' me saw the train, Rosie! It's so neat!" the child gushed. "I want one!"

Rose giggled. "Well, Justin, maybe I can paint one for your room. Would you like that?"

Justin's eyes widened. "Oooooo! My own train!"

"Miss Rose. I trust your trip was to your satisfaction?"

Rose turned to see her father, Severus, standing behind her and Justin, and beside their mother. Rose let go of her brother, and without preamble ran to Severus and threw her arms around him. "Oh papa! I missed you so much!"

Severus embraced Rose tightly, and into her ear he chuckled and whispered, "Methinks you missed my jam pastries."

Rose leaned back and nodded facetiously. "Oh yes! Those too!"

Severus smirked. "Well then, is it not a coincidence that I made a whole batch of blueberry pastries for all of us?"

Both Justin and Rose shouted 'yippee'. Severus draped a heavy arm over his daughter's head and walked her away from the train. Hermione laughed and grabbed Justin's hand, bringing him along to follow father and daughter.

Briefly, Hermione's hand ghosted over her belly. She could not wait to tell her children that in a few months they would have a brother and sister to dote upon. And, well, Severus? Hermione smiled. She was certain Severus would be shocked, but then he would be entirely delighted!

* * *

**A/N: And sadly this is the end for A Fine Romance. I do hope you have all enjoyed it. I know the epilogue is a bit quick, but I wanted it written and posted before I was unable to type. Which happens, lately. Anyway, for the moment I am feeling a lot better and hoping that I might be able to finish Daddy Long Legs despite my supposed abandonment of it. Thank you all for sticking with me. ~Jayne d'Arcy**


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